Fates Entwined
by Winter's Gate
Summary: One for All and All for One have been locked in a constant stalemate, neither gaining ground on the other. Until a certain brown haired girl saves the life of a quirkless boy and changes the course of history. Cross-posted on AO3 Warning: Suicidal thoughts/attempt, Violence, Brief Torture, Blood/Gore, and general dark themes. Also tooth rotting fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is something that I've wanted to do for a while. I've just never had the time to really go through with it. University takes a lot of time! I wish that this site had more tags, because this story is about more than romance and adventure. But that was the best I could find for it. This is also cross-posted on A03.**

Chapter 1

_Falling_

"So can you be a hero? I'm sorry kid. Not without a quirk."

Izuku Midoriya stood stunned on the rooftop. The world fell to black around him. The young boy's head fell, eyes wide. Oddly enough, no tears came.

'_You're just a quirkless loser!'_

'_Just a shitty Deku!'_

'_Worthless!'_

'_Don't even try to get into U.A!'_

'_Without a quirk, you can't be a hero'_

'_Just take a swan dive off the roof of the building!'_

'I knew it. They were right all along…' Izuku clenched his fist as tears welled in his eyes. He heard the mumblings of a voice. But it was in his peripherals, it was just noise. Izuku's ears were ringing, his breathing becoming erratic. Izuku leaned his hands on his knees, bending over. The young boy tried to focus on something, anything. Izuku's eyes darted around, trying to find something that could bring him out of his panicked state.

At some point, All Might had left the roof. Not like the young boy really cared anymore. He had just been told that his one dream in life was foolish and could never be obtained. Izuku felt like his heart was tearing into pieces. The words his mother told him so long ago ringing in his head again. Izuku began to hyperventilate.

'_I'm sorry Izuku!'_

Izuku felt hopeless, useless, like nothing mattered in the world anymore. The green haired boy looked upon the city he was so familiar with. He had grown up here. While Tokyo was very close, they hadn't traveled there a whole lot. He and his mother preferred to stay here where it was a bit quieter. Although the idea of moving to another school without his local bullies was appealing, Izuku knew that worse ones would just replace them. Izuku looked down and realized that he was leaning on the railing at the edge of the rooftop. A solid ten story drop awaited him.

'It would be so easy… Just one jump and it would all be over. I can finally stop burdening the world with my uselessness.' Morbid thoughts echoed in Izuku's head. It sounded like his voice, only much more sinister and filled with self-hatred. He watched as pedestrians milled about directly below him. Rushing to get to work, spending time with loved ones, out for a day of shopping.

None knew of the turmoil the boy above them was suffering.

'_Take a swan dive off the roof of the building!' _

Izuku's childhood bully's words echoed in his head again and again. Maybe he was right. Maybe if he just jumped, then he wouldn't be such a burden to everyone. Izuku continued to stare down the drop, the distance seeming to stretch the longer he looked at it.

'Not like it would matter much anyway. I'd be a minute-long story on the local news. Then everyone would forget and go about their lives. Nothing to see here…' The young boy leaned forward. Teetering dangerously over the green railing. He could see the dirty alleyway below him. It was covered in garbage bags and loose trash lying around. It was likely that no one would immediately notice if he landed there.

'_You can't be a hero'_

'_You're worthless'_

'_You can't be a hero'_

'_Quirkless'_

'_YOU CAN'T BE A HERO!'_

'If I can't be a hero… then what else is left for me?'

'_You can't be a hero without a quirk.'_

Izuku jumped.

Izuku had contemplated the idea of this a few times before. After a particularly bad beating from Katsuki, when his dad left them, every time that someone disregarded him for being quirkless. He thought that it would be terrifying. That it would take a lot of motivation and effort to actually go through with it. That maybe he would try to stop himself midway and chicken out.

He felt nothing.

As he felt himself begin to freefall, he didn't cry. He didn't feel fear, nor feel regret nor remorse for what he had done. He didn't feel much of anything really. In all honesty, he thought it would be quicker. He seemed to be falling in slow motion. His mind began to wander.

'What would Kacchan think of me? Would he be happy? Would he be disappointed that I decided to end it this way?' Izuku had a general idea of what his bully would be thinking when he learned about his old friend's untimely demise.

'Not even All Might believed in me. I really am worthless. I deserve this.' Izuku felt the wind whipping at his face as he picked up speed. Surprisingly, he still felt no fear. He had nothing to lose after all. He had no friends at school, no one but his mother actually cared about him. Everyone he talked to rejected him as soon as they learned that he was quirkless.

'I'll bet that she's disappointed in me too. That I was a bad son and didn't develop a quirk like everyone else. I'm such a failure. She'll probably be happy when she learns that I'm finally gone' Izuku closed his eyes as the ground grew closer. He let his body go limp, not even trying to brace himself for the impact. His mind went blank as he awaited the end.

*SLAP*

* * *

Ochako slipped on the hard pavement and almost fell face first. The girl caught herself with her hand and continued to sprint forward, regaining her balance. She sprinted out of the alleyway and into the open street. It was in the middle of the day so there were plenty of people around. The young girl pushed past a few of them, receiving a few cries of anger and frustration. She paid them no heed. She needed to get some distance between her and her attackers.

'This is the last time I steal from a gang like that' Ochako thought as she rounded another corner. She noticed two thugs come out of another alleyway in front of her. The girl yelped in surprise and slapped a hand to her chest, making her weightless. With some concentration, she shifted the force of gravity and propelled herself into the air, landing on a rooftop directly above her. Hoping it was safe, she quickly landed and rested her hands on her knees. Breathing heavily after such a long chase.

She only needed some food. It had been a couple of days since she had run away. If she could have grabbed some money first, she would have. But she left so fast she couldn't take anything but the cloths on her back. She was starving and found a couple of guys that looked like they were from a local gang. In her infinite wisdom, Ochako decided to follow them. There were bound to be some nice things at their headquarters, right? While Ochako hated the idea of stealing, she was starving and these were criminals, so she made an exception.

Everything had been going well. She had followed the two men to an old abandoned warehouse. It was such a cliché, but it had a ton of food and supplies. Ochako stuck to the shadows, occasionally reaching out and touching an item of interest, floating it to the top of the warehouse. She was hoping that none of the guards would think to look up. Once she had everything she wanted, she shifted everything in midair so she could drop it and catch it, and hopefully get out without being seen. Unluckily for her, one of the men surprised her and she lost her concentration, dropping everything. Alerting everyone in the warehouse of her presence. After a long chase, and a couple of close calls, she was here; about to heave her guts out from the overuse of her quirk.

"Ugh, I just needed some food…" She said to herself in a weak voice. Wow, she sounded like shit. Ochako looked down at herself. Tattered jeans and a ripped and mud splotched t-shirt. Not only did she sound like shit, she looked like it too. Her eyes had heavy bags under them, her cloths were ripped and dirty, her face was covered in dirt, and her hair was clumped and frazzled. She didn't have a good last few days on the streets.

'But I'll be damned if I ever go back to that monster.' She thought to herself as she straightened back up. Ochako leaned over the edge of the building, seeing that that the thugs had moved on. Thinking that she had lost them in the crowd. They spread out hoping to spot her again. Hopefully they would give up soon. She breathed a sigh of relief and took a fire escape back to street level. 'Back to wandering the streets then.' Ochako thought as she began idly walking down the sidewalk. The people around her gave her strange looks and walked a few paces away from her. As if at any moment, she would jump out and mug them.

'As if' Ochako thought as she aimlessly walked down the sidewalk. As the adrenaline quickly faded from her system, exhaustion and fatigue took over. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead. She was so tired. She hadn't had a good night's sleep since…

'I need to find somewhere to stay. I won't last much longer out here.' Ochako winced as her stomach growled loudly. The constant ache had been really getting to her. The young girl had managed to find some food yesterday from a sympathetic street vendor who offered her some spare food. That seemed to be the only stroke of luck. Since then, everything had gone downhill. Anytime she tried to find a place to sleep, someone would kick her out or a shady character would make her too nervous to catch any shuteye.

Ochako glanced at her tattered shoes as she dragged herself along the sidewalk, quickly losing any energy her previous adrenaline shot had offered her. Ochako couldn't begin to describe the discomfort and achiness she felt. Her feet were past the point of aching to where they simply hurt. She was positive that there were blisters there now. Her hands were littered with small cuts and she had light bruises across her body. Her escape hadn't been pretty. But her attackers had come out of it much worse than she did. Her stomach ached horribly; her legs were jelly. Her exhaustion and lack of sleep left her with a constant headache and lightheadedness. She felt like she was going to collapse at any moment.

Ochako let out a long yawn as she glanced toward the sky. It was late afternoon; the sun would be setting soon. She would need to find some place to sleep tonight. Otherwise she would end up sleeping in an alley. Maybe she could find a hotel and convince them to let her sleep in the lobby? It was a long shot, but what other chance did she have? The young girl's gaze wandered to a rooftop about ten or so buildings away.

'Is someone on that roof?' Ochako quirked a questioning eyebrow at the shadow of what looked like a young boy. She stopped when he leaned over the edge. Ochako's eyes widened. A horrible feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. 'He's not going to…' Her worst fears were realized when the boy threw himself over the edge. Ochako gasped in horror and before she knew it, she was sprinting at full speed toward the falling boy.

'I can make it' The sidewalk cracked as she pushed off and sprinted at full speed. Adrenaline pumped into her legs as the world blurred around her. Anyone else around her quickly jumped out of the way of the young girl. The boy's form disappeared from view behind another building. Ochako gritted her teeth and pushed herself even further. She knew she only had a few seconds.

'I can make it!' The young girl turned into the alley that would be the boy's grave. She couldn't turn fast enough at the speed she was running. She caught herself by running on the brick wall of the building before swiftly kicking off. Ochako lunged forward with all of her strength, throwing her hand forward, hoping that by some miracle, she had timed it right. It was a long shot, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let this happen without giving her all to save him. The young girl closed her eyes, hoping for the best.

*SLAP*

* * *

It took Izuku a few moments to open his eyes. He didn't feel anything. No sudden collision, no breaking bones or slow bleeding out. All he felt was a sharp sting on his right cheek. Izuku blinked a few times to focus his vision. Instead of eternal darkness or some kind of afterlife, he was met with the most beautiful face he had ever seen. The girl in question had brunette hair, large brown eyes, a slightly rounded face and a seemingly permanent blush on her cheeks. Izuku spoke without thinking.

"A-am I in heaven? You look like an angel…" Izuku muttered in his confusion. The girl in question blushed furiously and almost dropped the green haired boy. Did he really just say that? Ochako sighed in relief.

'Okay… he's okay… he's okay' Ochako breathed heavily, trying to calm herself down. She managed to catch him with her quirk and adjusted his floating form, so she was carrying him bridal style before releasing him. The position was uncomfortable enough as it was. Ochako didn't have really any experience with boys at all. While she had some friends at her old school, she was never really close to any of them. Ochako got a good look at the boy's face. He was fairly plain looking; with boyish features, exactly four freckles on each cheek, and slightly curly green hair. She noticed he was wearing a black button up jacket with matching black slacks. Ochaco broke out of her stupor as she noticed she was staring and shook her head.

"N-n-no! You're still alive you idiot!" Ochako yelled at him, upset at the fact that this mysterious boy had tried to end his life. "Why? Why would you do something so horrible?" Ochako gazed into the boy's deep green eyes. She saw the emotional turmoil behind them. Years of pain and rejection all bubbling up to this pivotal moment in his life. Ochako felt the adrenaline in her system wear off, and the familiar fatigue in her legs returned. The girl slowly put the boy back on his feet. They both simultaneously leaned onto the brick wall of the building and slid to the floor. Ochako's gaze never left the green haired teen.

Izuku ran a hand through his sweaty hair, suddenly feeling lightheaded as the reality of the situation kicked in. He really did it. He actually tried to kill himself. The young boy felt shame. Unbelievable shame that he had tried to take the quick and easy way out.

'What was I thinking? How could I do something like that?' Izuku glanced at the girl next to him, whose concerned gaze still hadn't left him. Under normal circumstances, Izuku would have felt embarrassed and fled from any girl who looked at him for so long. This felt completely different. Izuku was too mentally exhausted to think too hard about it.

'But… How? How did she catch me? At the rate I was falling… there would have still been some impact or damage. But I felt nothing.' Izuku looked into the mystery girl's eyes and found nothing but concern and disbelief in them. 'She saved me…'

"You saved me… how? Why?" Izuku was dumbfounded. Trying to avoid the question of why he did it. He honestly wasn't entirely sure himself, and he wasn't sure he was ready to face those demons yet. He was absolutely astounded by this mystery girl.

Here was a random girl who had gone completely out of her way, risking herself to save someone like him. A quirkless nobody who had nothing to offer the world. No one cared about him when he was here. He was positive no one would care if he was gone either.

Izuku got a good look at the girl now. She looked absolutely terrible. Like she hadn't slept or showered in days. Her shirt and jeans were ripped up and covered in various bits of grime and dirt. She was covered in sweat and looked like she would just faint at any moment. Izuku grew concerned about her. Concerned enough that his feelings about his attempted suicide were overwhelmed. He needed to help her.

"I have a gravity manipulation quirk. I stopped you from falling and caught you…" Ochako said quietly. "As for why… well… that what a hero would do right?" Izuku stared at her amazed.

'Gravity Manipulation? That's so cool! There are so many practical applications as well as ways she could use it in battle!' Izuku's mood began to shift from the dark place it once was. He took note to make an entry in his notebook later.

"I'm Ochako Uraraka by the way."

"I'm Izuku Midoriya." Izuku took note of her unhealthy appearance again. "You don't look so good. What happened?" Izuku prodded. Ochako glanced away for a moment, trying to decide if she wanted to tell him. She didn't want anyone telling people who or where she was. She needed to stay underground for the time being. Izuku noticed her discomfort and immediately backpedaled. "O-oh I'm s-sorry! I didn't mean to o-offend you! You just look like you need some help!" Izuku waved his hands in front of his face. Ochako continued to stare blankly at him.

'He just wants to help me. Hell, he's more concerned about my health then the fact that he almost killed himself!' Ochako let out a small sigh.

"It's okay, you didn't offend me. I-I ran away from home a few days ago. I have been on the streets for a couple of days now…" Ochako looked away. Trying to avoid eye contact. Ochako didn't want to see the look of disgust on his face like everyone else. Everyone she had come into contact with avoided her like that plague. Ochako didn't want this nice boy to hate her too. She could feel him staring at her. Eventually she decided to brave a look at him, expecting to see disgust and judgment. She was met with eyes full of concern and empathy.

"That's horrible! I can take you to my place! We have a spare bedroom there. You can rest and eat something." Izuku exclaimed as he got up from his spot on the filthy concrete. Ochako quickly shook her head and attempted to get up.

"N-no! I'm fine! You don-" Ochako felt her legs give out from under her and she began falling forward. She let out a squeak of surprise, but before she could hit the ground Izuku wrapped his arms around her and caught her. She was lighter than he expected. Normally Izuku wouldn't be able to carry someone else his size. She really must have not been eating.

"No, you saved my life. The least I can do is take care of you until you're healthy." Izuku held an arm around her shoulders and helped her stand. "You don't have to stay any longer than you want to… I just want to help you and… repay you for saving my life…" Izuku looked deeply into the young girl's eyes. Ochako looked away and nodded. Not like she had much of a choice. She wasn't going to ask for help, but this was the stroke of luck she needed. She could finally get off the streets.

"Okay… how far do you live?" Ochako asked as they slowly made their way out of the alleyway and back into the street. Izuku was proud of himself for his ability to keep this much physical contact with a girl without his brain completely shutting down on him. Maybe it was the fact that she needed help. Or that he was so mentally exhausted already that his brain wasn't working anymore. Either way, he needed to get her home.

"I live in the apartments a few blocks down the road, It's not too far." The pair slowly made their way down the sidewalk. Anyone near them just walked around them and ignored the teens. Ochako growled in frustration. It seemed that with the rising of heroes, everyone else just abandoned the previously held moral value of helping people. Helping someone else just because it was the right thing to do. Not because there was money in it, or because of some other motive. Now only heroes were the ones who were supposed to help others. While normal citizens could ignore any suffering they came across. Ochako feared that if she hadn't happened to be walking there at that exact time, Midoriya would be dead now. And no one would have even noticed. As they were walking, something that Ochako said was bothering Izuku.

'_That's what a hero would do. Right?'_

'Does she have dreams of becoming a hero too? Is she planning on going to U.A as well?' Izuku glanced at the girl who was heavily leaning on him for support. 'By the looks of her, I don't think that she's had a very good life. Sounds familiar…' Ochako glanced at the boy noticing him staring right through her.

"Uhh… Whatcha thinking about? You're staring right through me!" Ochako broke the green haired teen out of his thoughts, an embarrassed blush spreading across his face.

"Well, I was just thinking about something you said…" Izuku trailed off. Ochako stiffened for a moment. "When I asked you why you saved me you said, 'That's what a hero would do'. Do you plan on becoming a pro hero as well?" Ochako relaxed, realizing that Izuku was only asking about her hopeful future of becoming a hero.

"Well… yeah! I've been watching pro heroes like All Might and Thirteen since I was little! I always wanted to be just like them. Saving people and doing good things for the world. I actually planned on changing schools so I could go to U.A. The one I'm at now doesn't exactly measure up academically…" Ochako trailed off. It was true, the school she used to go to wasn't exactly known. It was a small school, and its academics weren't up to the same standard that U.A demanded. She had planned on moving to Musutafu to go to Aldera Junior High to get ready for the Entrance Exam. Then everything happened, putting all of her plans on hold. She remained determined, she could still get into U.A, even if it took all of her time and effort, she would make it. "I was actually planning on going to Aldera Junior High instead. The academic courses there are closer to what I would need to get into U.A." Ochako finished. For the first time since she had met him, Izuku smiled brightly.

"No way! I'm applying to U.A too! And I'm currently enrolled at Aldera! The teachers and students there aren't the nicest, but the school is built to have academics that get you ready for U.A. Especially since Aldera and U.A are in the same area. It's been my dream to be a hero but…" Izuku trailed off, his radiant smile quickly replaced with a deep frown. His eyes clouded with emotion and he stared at the ground as they slowly walked. "Someone I look up to told me that I can't achieve my dream. I'm…" Izuku hesitated, he didn't want the first person who had ever shown any interest in him to reject him already. Anytime someone had learned that he was quirkless, he was immediately treated as a second-class citizen. He hadn't known this girl long, but it felt…nice to talk to someone other than his mom. Ochako noticed his change in mood, decided to try and cheer him up.

"I think you can do it Midoriya. No matter what others think of you. You have to believe in yourself. The only way you will fail is if you give up on yourself. If _you_ stop believing that you can do it." Ochako smiled supportively and Izuku smiled again.

"Thanks, Uraraka. I'm… happy that you think that." Izuku smiled as they continued walking down the sidewalk in a comfortable silence.

Eventually, Ochako began to feel some semblance of strength return to her legs. At least to the point where she could stand up on her own. As they walked back to Izuku's home together, she began to lean off his support more and more until she was walking on her own next to him. While it was still a slow pace, they were making progress. Izuku had no intention of rushing a girl who was quite obviously in bad condition.

"We can stop to rest if you want…" Izuku suggested when he saw that Ochako's breathing had become more labored as it became harder to walk upright. She shook her head and with renewed vigor, increased her pace.

"No. I can make it. If we stop now, I'll lose any drive I have. You'd probably have to carry me the rest of the way." Ochako cast a sidelong glance at Izuku and saw a slight smirk on his face. Not one of humor, but one of admiration. Izuku nodded and focused on the path ahead. They just needed to make it a couple more blocks

A loud explosion sounded down the street next to them, nearly knocking them off their feet. A large crowd had gathered, watching the next villain fight unfold. It was a miracle that people were even allowed to stand and watch these fights. It was a huge risk for civilian casualties if a villain got out of control. People were loudly muttering amongst themselves.

"Is that the sludge villain again?"

"How'd he get away from All Might?"

"He's holding a kid hostage this time!"

That last one caught Izuku's attention.

'A hostage? What kind of monster takes a child hostage?' Izuku took a step toward the commotion when he was stopped by a light touch on his arm. Izuku looked over his shoulder to see Ochako looking at him with pleading eyes.

"Midoriya, lets go. The heroes can handle this." Ochako said urgently. Villain fights were always interesting. She might have even stayed to watch had she not been starving and running on no energy. The heroes could handle this situation. It's what they did right? Most importantly, Ochako didn't know how much longer her legs could hold up before she collapsed. Izuku nodded and they started walking with her. That's when he heard the voice.

"DAMN IT! GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU MONSTER!" Izuku's head snapped back toward the villain, the boy had a perfect view of what was happening. Izuku's eyes widened when he recognized the hostage. His childhood bully, Katsuki Bakugo was trapped by the sludge villain. Much like Izuku had been not half an hour ago. Only Katsuki was putting up much more of a fight then Izuku ever did.

'Why aren't the heroes doing anything?' Izuku looked around and saw that there were buildings burning on each side of the villain. Likely caused by Katsuki's rampant explosions. Every hero on scene was already busy or couldn't do anything to help the hostage. Izuku clenched his fist.

'Kacchan's going to die if they don't step in soon. I was only captured for ten seconds and I could feel myself slipping away.' Izuku looked up, eyes glinting in determination. 'I have to do something! I have to save him!' Izuku sprinted full speed toward the villain who was holding Katsuki hostage. He heard the frantic yells of Ochako calling him back, but he pressed on.

Izuku didn't know why did it. Truthfully, he never should have cared about what happened to Katsuki. The boy had done nothing but ruin Izuku's childhood and singlehandedly exiled him from anyone else in the school. Everyone either followed Katsuki or didn't want to face his wrath. So, no one ever bothered to help Izuku or stand up for him. Katsuki was the only reason why Izuku had contemplated suicide. After all of the beatings, ridicule, and harassment he had suffered. Izuku should have just let the kid die. No one would have blamed him for it.

But that's not what heroes did.

Heroes help anyone in need. No matter who they are or what they've done. Heroes help even when it puts their life at risk. They don't decide to help some people based on how good of a person they are. Heroes do everything they can to save everyone. Maybe that's why he did it. To prove that he could be a hero. To show the world that someone who was quirkless could be someone's hero. Izuku let out a yell and threw his bag at the monster's eye. Landing a clean hit and hearing a satisfying wail of pain in response.

Katsuki felt the vice grip on him weaken slightly. He screamed and pushed as hard as he could, loosing explosions behind him hoping that it would be enough to free him. His arm was almost out when he saw the face of someone he least expected, charging in to save him.

"DEKU? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT OF HERE!" Katsuki screamed, hoping that the worthless kid wouldn't get in the way of a real hero who could save him. Izuku dove his arm into the fluid-like substance that was the villain's body. Looking for something, anything that he could latch onto.

"Kacchan! I couldn't just stand there and watch you die!" Izuku screamed as he felt something. The boy latched onto Katsuki's arm and pulled with all of his might. Both boys screamed in effort, with their combined strength, Katsuki was able to wrench his arm free and loose a massive wave of explosions at the villain. Temporarily wounding him and forcing him to release his hold on Katsuki. Both boys landed hard on the road, before they could react, the villain had recovered and was upon them again.

"You little shits! I'll kill you for that!" The grotesque villain dove toward both boys, intending to suffocate them both to death. Before he could reach them however, he was interrupted by a painfully familiar voice.

"**NEVER FEAR BOYS! FOR I AM HERE!" **A loud voice boomed as the mountain of a man landed in front of Katsuki and Izuku, protecting them from the sludge villain's attack. The villain reared back, his eyes wide with fear.

"N-No! Not you again!" The sludge villain screamed as he tried to find a way out of his bleak situation. He had done all he could to avoid the hero. He could handle any lowlife hero they threw at him. But when All Might showed up, he knew he was heavily outmatched. Trying to lead him on a chase had almost worked until he got caught with that boy.

The villain thought that luck was on his side that day as the stupid child knocked him out of All Might's pocket. Unknowingly freeing him from his prison. But as the old saying goes, the bad guys never get away.

With his trademark smile, All Might reared his fist back for a signature move. **"LET'S SEE HOW YOU HANDLE THIS! DETROIT SMASH!" **With that, a sonic boom and wind pressure blew the sludge villain into nothing. Leaving the entire crowd in a stunned silence.

* * *

"That was really amazing what you did back there Midoriya. Without you that kid would have died. They shouldn't have scolded you like that." Ochako comforted the green haired teen as they drew closer to his apartment. It was evening at this point, the sun was setting, casting the world in a beautiful orange and red glow.

After All Might had disposed of the villain, the police began taking statements from everyone. The heroes all praised Katsuki for his bravery and were talking about getting him internships for their respective agencies once he was old enough. Praising his quirk for how amazing it was. Even though his quirk had made the situation more dire then it needed to be. Causing a situation that had nearly gotten the boy killed. While Izuku was scorned and criticized for risking himself and running out to save him. So, everything was normal. Izuku was cut down while Katsuki was lifted onto a pedestal.

"It's okay Uraraka. I don't need them to thank me. A true hero doesn't help people for something in return, right?" Ochako admired his spirit. Even after being berated for his actions he still held his head high.

'He really has a heart of gold huh? I wonder why he didn't use his quirk though… that would have been much safer for him. Even if it's technically illegal. Come to think of it, he never told me what his quirk was… Maybe it's not a combat quirk?' Ochako thought to herself as she noticed him staring into space again. Ochako looked toward the beautiful sunset again. They were suddenly stopped by a monstrous form rushing out of a nearby alley.

"**I AM HE-!" **All Might coughed blood and became wreathed in smoke. Izuku and Ochako shrieked in surprise, falling backwards onto the pavement. When the smoke cleared, All Might stood in his withered form staring down at the two teens.

'Two… TWO?' Toshinori began to sweat profusely. Izuku was supposed to be here alone! Who was this other girl? He couldn't hope to explain this one away. 'How could I have been so careless as to assume he would be alone?' The number one hero sighed in frustration before looking down upon the girl next to Izuku. He would be forced to explain his secret to yet _another_ person. This was getting out of hand.

"Ah… damn it. Okay. What's your name girl?" Toshinori asked the awestruck brunette. Ochaco opened and closed her mouth a few times, attempting to find words. Her idol was standing right of her! The man she had looked up to since she was a little girl!

"O-O-Ochako U-Uraraka!" The young girl stuttered. Toshinori nodded and gave her a serious look.

"Look, you can't tell anyone about this. I was looking for young Midoriya, expecting him to be alone, and I didn't expect my time limit to run out so quick. You absolutely cannot tell anyone what you saw here. My weakened form is a secret kept from the public, for good reason. If villains knew about this then they would exploit it." Toshinori began explaining his injury and the time limit on his abilities.

Ochako was awestruck. Not only was she meeting All Might, her long-time favorite hero, but she was learning something that not even the public was let in on. She always looked up to All Might. When everyone around her abused and used people for their own gain, Ochako looked at All Might. Seeing him help so many people for no other reason than it was the right thing to do. It was inspiring.

"Wait, so you can only do hero work for a short time?" The bewildered girl asked her idol. For the first time in her life. She saw All Might with a frown on his face. He looked downcast.

"Yeah. Ever since my injury, I haven't been able to sustain my hero form for more than about five hours at a time. I have to take a rest in between incidents so my secret isn't accidentally shown to the world in the middle of a fight." Izuku looked at Toshinori questioningly now. The villain was dealt with. Everyone was okay and the situation was over. So why was the number one hero here?

"Now, young Midoriya." Toshinori's gaze fixated directly on Izuku. With a degree of seriousness that the young boy had never seen from his idol. "I sought you out for a few reasons. Although I didn't expect you to have company." The number one hero's gaze shifted to Ochako. She shifted nervously, uncomfortable with the serious atmosphere between them. "Before I can continue, I need to know that I can trust you both. While a number people know about my weakened state, only a select few know about the true nature of my quirk." Toshinori explained. Izuku stepped forward.

"That's right! People try to analyze and figure out your quirk all of the time! While some think it's invulnerability, others think it's some kind of wind pressure or super strength. Reporters ask about it in every interview with you. But you always dodge the question! I personally think that it's a combination of a strength enhancing quirk and some kind of wind pressure quirk. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to blow villains away the way to do!" Toshinori was taken aback for a moment as Izuku geeked out.

"Y-yeah. You're right kid. But my power isn't that simple. But before I can continue. I need your word in that you will never speak of this to anyone under any circumstances. This is incredibly important information and in the wrong hands this could upset the balance of power between heroes and villains. Potentially plunging the world in darkness as the heroes are eradicated. Leaving villains to do whatever they desire to innocent civilians." The atmosphere between them was suddenly much more tense than it was before. They were talking about the future of the heroic world? What kind of secret could change that? Izuku and Ochako looked at each other for a moment before nodding.

"I give you my word All Might. No one will ever hear of this." Izuku stated.

"Me too. I swear that I will never speak of this to anyone." A serious look passed over the young girl's face. Her hunger and exhaustion temporarily forgotten. Toshinori looked between the teens before nodding in affirmation.

"Alright. I wanted to start by apologizing." Toshinori placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I told you that you couldn't become a hero without a quirk. I single handedly crushed your dreams." Tears began to well in Izuku's eyes. "But I was wrong about you. So terribly wrong." Izuku closed his eyes, dark emotions threatening to choke him again. "You know what every hero's backstory has in common? They all tell about their bodies moving before they could think. They just acted on instinct to save someone else's life. Not because it was beneficial to them. But because it was the right thing to do." Toshinori paused for a moment before continuing. "You did that today. You ran straight toward a villain while the rest of us pro heroes stood back because it was an inconvenient match up. Your moment of courage inspired me to act. Even though I was not ready to use my hero form again… Seeing you act with such bravery made me want to act as well. That's what a hero does. They don't just save people. They inspire others to do the right thing as well." Toshinori took a step back. Izuku fell to his knees as tears streamed from his eyes. The setting sun painted Toshinori in a fiery light that made him look more like a god then a man.

"Young man. You too, can become a hero."

The dam broke. Izuku was openly sobbing now. Those words. Those few words were what he needed to hear from his mother so long ago. Those words meant so much to the young man. They were the words that he hinged his future on. The words that inspired him to keep going, even when everything felt impossible to handle. The words he would live by for the rest of his life.

Ochako crouched down next to her new friend and rubbed his back, feeling an odd urge to comfort the distraught boy. Toshinori's confession and Izuku's attempt on his life were painting a picture in Ochako's head. It was obvious that the two events were connected. But why in the world would All Might tell someone that they couldn't be a hero? Even people with seemingly useless quirks were able to train them into something great.

An interesting thing about quirks was that they, much like a muscle in the human body, change and grow stronger with use and training. Someone with a light telekinesis quirk could train until they could lift buildings instead of chairs. Someone with a basic ice quirk could learn to use it in more ways, like making a shield, weapon, projectile or anything else from a quirk that was previously weak. No one knew how powerful quirks could get exactly. As far as they knew, quirks could become infinitely powerful as long as you continued training them. Ochako glanced up as Toshinori held out his arms.

"Listen well young man! You've proven to me that you have what it takes to be the greatest hero in history. Which is another reason I sought you out. I have an offer." Izuku looked up in confusion. His eyes red and puffy, tears still streaming from them. An offer? What more could All Might possibly give him? "My quirk is called One For All." Ochako froze for a moment. They were learning All Might's greatest secret! "It's a quirk of unlimited power and potential that is passed down from user to user. Each cultivating it and building upon it before passing it down to the next. I am the eighth holder, and I would like to make you my successor. The ninth holder of One For All! Izuku Midoriya, my quirk is yours to inherit." Toshinori finished. There was a stunned silence before Izuku simply tilted his head.

"Eh?"

**A/N: Please let me know what you think! Any feedback is greatly appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Home_

Izuku quietly opened the door to his apartment, leading Ochako into his home. Izuku's brain was still struggling to process everything that had happened. Today was a huge day. He met his idol, saved someone, got saved by someone, learned he could have a quirk, and brought a girl home. Granted he had just met said girl, but it was still something that had never happened before. Izuku had never brought anyone home before, being that he never had any friends.

His mother, Inko, was freaking out when he called her. She was initially terrified for her child, after seeing the sludge villain attack on the news. That turned to relief when he assured her he was okay and was coming right home. Her relief turned to excitement when he had told her that he was bringing a friend home with him. Before he got another word in, she went of on a mutter spree.

'_Oh my gosh Izuku you have a friend? I have to clean the apartment! I need to make some food too. Maybe I should head to the store really fast? No that would take too long. Are you on your way home now? Of course you are. I'll need to clean up the guest room in case they stay the night! They probably won't but I have to be prepared! So much to do! Okay bye son! I'll see you soon! I love you!'_

With that, she hung up on him.

While he didn't inherit his muttering sprees from his mother, she had taken on his habit after raising him for fifteen years. It was true that people adopted the habits of those around them. Although it was much rarer for his mother to do it then her son. She only muttered when she was incredibly excited or upset.

The pair had only made it a few steps into the apartment before Izuku was suddenly enveloped in a bone crushing hug. His mother already had tears in her eyes.

"Oh my gosh Izuku don't ever do that to me again! What were you thinking attacking a villain like that! You could have died! I don't know what I would do if I lost you!" Izuku took a step back, trying to balance himself from the sheer force his mother had hugged him with. The young boy immediately felt a pit of guilt grow within him.

'I can't believe I never considered my mother's feelings when I almost…' Izuku felt his eyes stinging with more tears as he tightly wrapped his arms around his mother. 'I'm such a horrible son. How could I do that to her?'

"I'm so sorry mom. I don't know what happened to me. I just ran in without thinking." Izuku rubbed soothing circles into his mother's narrow back, comforting her. Assuring her that he was still there, and he was okay. Inko eventually let go of her son, looking him in the eyes. She took his face in both of her hands, tears threatening to spill.

Ochako smiled at the show of affection. Izuku's mother really cared for him. She was a relatively slender woman sporting the same green hair and eyes that Izuku had. It seemed he had inherited his habit of crying from her as well. They had only been there for a few seconds and both mother and son were on the verge of spilling tears. Inko eventually let go of her son, turning toward the company he had brought.

"Hello my name is In- Oh my gosh! What happened to you! You need to get out of those cloths! And you look like you need rest! And some food! Here, come with me!" Inko's mother instincts instantly kicked in as she took Ochako by the hand and rushed her straight to their bathroom. Ochako didn't have the strength or will to argue. Inko led her into the bathroom and looked over her. Noticing the cuts and bruises that littered her body.

"Oh, you poor girl. You are going to take a shower and get that grime off you. Then I'm going to take care of those wounds!" Inko stated as she walked past the young girl and started the water in the shower. "I'll see if I can find some cloths you can wear when you are done okay?" Ochako nodded, she wasn't going to protest. Based on what she had seen already, the Midoriyas were a stubborn bunch when it came to helping people.

"Okay. I… Thank you Ms. Midoriya. This really means a lot to me." Ochako smiled gratefully at the Midoriya matriarch. Her luck really was turning around. She wasn't sure what she was going to do after the Midoriyas helped take care of her. Would she end up back on the street? The Midoriya family surely couldn't take care of another person in their home… right?

"By the way… I never got your name…" Inko trailed off, standing in the doorway. Ochako's eyes widened at her rudeness.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! My name is Ochako Uraraka! It's great to meet you!" Inko smiled sweetly and with a quick bow, she left Ochako alone in the bathroom. The brunette slowly took the rags she called cloths off and neatly placed them in a corner. Her sore muscles making even the small task of removing cloths moderately difficult. Once she stepped under the hot water of the shower, she immediately felt relief.

Ochako sighed contently as the hot water lightly washed over her pale skin. Washing away the dirt and grime that had been her life for the last few days. Her muscles loosened and felt immensely better as the warm water wreathed her in a cocoon of comfort and warmth. She could feel her stress washing away along with the dirt and grime.

For the first time in a week, Ochako felt safe. She didn't feel like she was going to be stabbed in the back, or beaten, or worse. She didn't have to worry about whether or not she was going to go to bed hungry. Or go to bed at all. She spent the last few nights desperately searching for anything that could even come close to safety. Now that she had it, she felt a mountain of stress and worry ease off her weary shoulders.

Ochako couldn't help but smile fondly as she thought of the reason why she had this feeling of safety. Izuku Midoriya. The boy she had met only a couple hours previously. He immediately offered everything to her. Izuku offered to take her to his home and nurse her back to health. He didn't ask for anything in return. Ochako couldn't help but worry for him though.

'What has he been through? You don't just try to kill yourself for no reason…' Ochako idly thought as she began scrubbing some of the gunk from her nails. 'He seemed kind of uncomfortable just talking to me. Maybe he's just shy? When I asked him, he deliberately avoided mentioning anything about it.' Ochako couldn't shake the worry that plagued her mind. The image of Izuku jumping off the rooftop playing over and over in her head. She shook her head, willing the horrible sight to leave her troubled mind. 'I'll have to bring it up later in a more comfortable environment.' Tiredness began weighing on her eyes again. Ochako let out a long yawn. 'Definitely not tonight though.' Ochako wanted nothing more then to eat a big meal and crash into the nearest bed.

After scrubbing herself thoroughly and washing her hair with Inko's shampoo, Ochako stepped out of the shower. After drying herself off she spotted what they had chosen for her clothes. Some underwear, she assumed were Inko's, pair of black gym shorts and a blue All Might t-shirt that was a couple sizes too big for her.

'These are Izuku's cloths…' Ochako blushed as she realized that Izuku had offered up his own clothing to help her now. He had only just met her, and he was treating her like they had been best friends for years. Ochako felt guilt in the pit of her stomach. She didn't deserve this kindness. Not after what she had done. 'Maybe he's just a genuinely good person. He seems so nice…' Ochako thought back to the moment when she saw him jump from the building. The scene kept replaying in her mind. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if she hadn't been there. Would anyone else have noticed? Would they have cared?

Ochako couldn't help but think about a certain number one hero. Her expression soured as she thought of him being the reason for Izuku's attempted suicide. While she didn't have the full story, she had put together that All Might's words were the ones that finally pushed Izuku over the edge. The girl had lost a margin of respect for her idol. The man who supposedly helped everyone had pushed an innocent boy to attempt suicide.

'How can he tell someone that they can't be a hero? Who gave him the right to crush the dreams of a young boy? So what if his quirk is weak or not combat based? Someone like All Might should know that a hero isn't defined by their quirk alone.' The brunette thought as she slipped on her loaned clothes.

Ochako didn't want to think about Inko's reaction if she had found out what her son had done. The young girl decided that it would be best to talk to Izuku first before informing his mother about the incident. She had to know his story and make sure he was okay. Inko's worrying would likely only make things worse at the moment.

'What she doesn't know won't hurt her.'

Ochako admired herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked like a completely different person. Her hair shined a familiar light brown color. The color had returned to her face, the flush on her cheeks back to its usual shade. She still had heavy bags under her eyes, but the young girl felt so much better now that she was clean and refreshed. The blue All Might shirt sagged a little bit but fit decently enough; she was surprised that the shorts fit her perfectly. Ochako smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't know if she was going to stay with the Midoriyas, she didn't know what the future had in store for her. If she would actually make it into U.A, or if she could be a hero at all. But this was a start to a new life, be it better or worse.

"This is a new beginning for you Ochako."

* * *

Inko closed the bathroom door behind her after picking out some plain undergarments she hoped would fit the girl, she made her way back to the living room where Izuku was pacing back and forth worriedly. He was off in his muttering world again, something along the lines of going to school with someone? Inko tapped her son on the shoulder and snapped him out of his musings.

"Okay Izuku, what's the story with her?" A dark look glanced over Izuku's eyes but is was gone as quickly as it appeared. He placed his hand on his chin for a moment, contemplating on how to answer.

'I definitely can't tell her how we really met. I don't think that I could tell anyone about that. But maybe I can just keep it vague?' Izuku hated lying in general, especially to his mother. But he definitely wasn't going to tell her about his suicide attempt. Izuku thought to himself before speaking.

"We met right before the incident with the sludge villain. I tripped over my own feet on the sidewalk and Ochako caught me." Inko shook her head knowingly. Izuku was always the clumsy one. It didn't surprise her one bit that he had managed to do something like trip over his own feet. "But then I saw the condition she was in and I got really worried. She said that she ran away from home and was on the street for a few days." Inko's eyes widened, she had not expected that. She thought that maybe the girl had been attacked by the villain and Izuku had offered to help her. "I think that her family might be abusive. Otherwise she wouldn't have run away right?" Inko nodded. She agreed with her son's assumption. But they couldn't be sure.

"Still, we should ask her before coming to any conclusions. But first, I'm going to finish the Katsudon I was making. Here, take these." She handed the underwear to her son, who promptly flushed red when he realized what he was holding. "Could you make the bed in the spare room for her and pick out some cloths?" Izuku fought the blush on his face and the Midoriyas went about their tasks. The spare room was right next to Izuku's, while his mother's was across the hall. Izuku asked how they had managed to get a three-bedroom apartment and still afford to pay for it. His mother had given him the explanation that she knew the landlord personally and they got a discounted rate. Izuku had met the landlord a few times, she was a very nice and understanding lady, but she wasn't around enough for Izuku to think that she and his mother were friends.

Inko worked from place to place ever since Hisashi left them. The man had gone overseas to America and never spoke to his family again. Inko was forced to support a child and pay for the apartment all by herself. Luckily with their discounted rent, as well as Inko's raise in pay over the years they were able to get by relatively well. While Izuku didn't know exactly where they stood financially, he wasn't sure they could afford to support another mouth to feed.

The green haired teen placed some clean sheets and a comforter on the guest bed before embarking on his quest for clothes. They were all pretty much the same body size, so she could easily fit into either his or his mother's clothes. Izuku wasn't sure if Ochako would like any of his mother's clothes, however. Come to think of it he didn't really know what kind of clothes she liked. Izuku didn't want to assume anything about his new friend without asking her first.

"Hmm. I don't know if she would like anything my mom wears. But she doesn't really wear anything super extravagant anyway. A t-shirt and jeans is simple enough. But wait, isn't that what she's been wearing for the past few days? She wouldn't be comfortable in that right? No, no, no I'll find something else." Izuku muttered as he rummaged through his closet and dresser trying to find something that the young girl might like. "She did say that All Might was one of her favorite heroes right? I could give her one of my soft All Might shirts that she could sleep in. She is probably going to want to go straight to bed once she eats, so maybe sleep wear would be best. Yeah, yeah, that sounds right. How about these? No too big. But… aha! There! Perfect!" Izuku held out a pair of gym shorts that were a bit too small on him. Given Ochako's slightly smaller stature Izuku assumed that she would fit perfectly in these.

Smiling at himself, Izuku carried the cloths toward the bathroom door, he cautiously placed his ear on the door. The shower was still going. Izuku cautiously knocked.

"H-hey, Ochako. I've got some clothes for you…" Izuku trailed off nervously. Getting no response, Izuku slowly cracked the door. Seeing that she was indeed, still in the shower. The young boy quickly placed the clothes in a pile. Izuku quickly rushed out of the bathroom, his face tomato red. The boy leaned on the door and tried to get his breathing under control, hoping that the fire on his face would die down a little bit.

'I was right next to a naked girl! What if she decided to come out?! She didn't hear me so she could have walked out with me still in there! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! What if she thought I was a pervert and spying on her?!' Izuku thought, panicking. As if on que, the water in the shower turned off and Ochako stepped out. Izuku quickly scurried away, wanting to be as far away from the situation as possible.

* * *

"This is so good Ms. Midoriya!" Ochako exclaimed as she wolfed down her second helping of Inko's homemade Katsudon. Inko smiled brightly as her son and his new friend ate the food at an alarming rate. Both teens were famished after the events of the day. Ochako hadn't eaten much of anything the last few days, especially something this _good_. Every bite felt like her mouth was exploding in flavor, she couldn't get enough of it.

"I'm so happy that you like it! And please, just call me Inko alright?" Ochako nodded happily and continued eating. Not many words were exchanged between them, and after Ochako's third helping of Katsudon, they were finished. Inko thought she had gone a little overboard when Izuku mentioned that he was bringing a friend over. She got excited and ended up making enough Katsudon to feed five people instead of three. Turns out that was the best decision she could have made. There wasn't a bit of food left after the trio was finished.

"Thank you so much again for the food Ms.- Inko. I'm sorry that I ate most of it… but it was just so good!" Ochako happily exclaimed. After a nice shower, getting her wounds tended to, and eating, Ochako was beginning to feel like herself again.

After her shower, Inko looked over the young girl and applied some basic first aid to her cuts and scrapes. Using alcohol and some bandages to stop any infection that was likely starting. Being out on the streets was a dirty thing, and it was especially dangerous when you had open wounds that could get infected. But Inko assured her that she should be okay in a few days. The older woman had also taken note of the nature of Ochako's injuries. She had expected to find various old injuries. Old scars or bruises as a sign of repeated abuse. But she found nothing of the sort. All of the young girl's wounds were relatively recent.

Ochako got up from the table, once again thanking Inko for all of the wonderful food. She was about to wash her plate when Izuku took it from her and began washing it himself.

"I'll take care of it Uraraka, okay? You need some rest." Izuku flashed a kind smile at her and Ochako felt her knees buckle a little bit. How could one person be so kind and thoughtful? Ochako nodded her thanks and hesitated, before hugging Izuku from the side. Wrapping her arms around him tenderly.

"Thank you Midoriya. F-For everything you've done for me" Ochako muttered, her nervousness almost overwhelming her at the sudden closeness. Izuku's face was completely red, he completely froze, unsure of what to do next.

"I-i-it's no problem U-Uraraka. Really! I-it's nothing compared to what you did for me." Izuku stuttered out. Ochako released him, her own blush still raging on her rosy cheeks. The young girl felt the fatigue of the day come crashing down on her. With a long yawn, the brunette began her retreat to the guest room.

"Goodnight Midoriya."

"Goodnight Uraraka."

* * *

Ochako fell face first onto the soft mattress of the bed, barely finding her way under the covers before drifting off to a deep slumber.

Inko and her son sat together at the kitchen table. Ochako had gone to bed a while ago, leaving the two Midoriyas in silence. The silence between them was thick with tension. They were left in an odd situation. Neither of them knew what to do with Ochako. While both of them desperately wanted to take her in, they knew next to nothing about her. Other then the fact that she was homeless when she and Izuku met. Based on how her injuries looked, she didn't look like she was on the streets for long. So, something bad happened to her in the last week that made her homeless. Question was, did she actually have a home or family to go back to? Was she running from abuse? Or was her family attacked? Where there people still after her? So many questions that neither of them had the answers to. Izuku spoke up first.

"We have to let her stay mom." Izuku stated flatly, looking his mother directly in the eyes. Inko was surprised, the only time she heard him sound so determined was when he was talking about becoming a hero. Inko sighed and looked back toward the wood table.

"There's still so much we don't know about her Izuku. What if she has parents to go back to? What if she was attacked and her parents are looking for her?" Inko argued. Izuku shook his head.

"No. She said that she ran away from home. I'm not sure if her parents are looking for her. But I don't think I want them to find her either." Inko looked up at her son, surprised at the stance he was taking for this girl. "The look in her eyes mom… she was scared. She was running from something. Who does that to their own daughter?" Izuku had tears brimming in his eyes. He couldn't believe that someone would abuse their child. Especially someone as sweet and selfless as Ochako. She went out of her own way and risked hurting herself just to save him. Not to mention her determination. It was something that Izuku already admired in her. Even when she was collapsing from exhaustion, she still pressed on. Izuku refused to let her wander the streets alone again.

Inko sat in a stunned silence, she had no idea that her son thought so highly of a girl he just met. Izuku always saw the best in everyone around him. Even in his childhood bully, Katsuki Bakugo. No matter how much Katsuki teased him, Izuku always admired the boy's strength. Katsuki was determined to become number one no matter what. With his powerful quirk and large circle of friends, Izuku always admired him. Aspiring to be like him one day. But they had to face reality, they weren't financially stable enough to support someone else. They were lucky they had made it this far on Inko's job. Only having to feed two mouths was perfect for the income she was bringing in, adding another person would certainly cause problems.

"Izuku… honey. I know you want to help and protect your new friend… but we physically don't have the money to take care of her here! I'm already working full time at my current job. Even if I got another job for weekends, we would be just scraping by…" Inko explained mournfully. She didn't want to reject the poor girl. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to take her in and protect her for the rest of her life. But as it stood now, Ochako would do better in a foster home. Izuku suddenly stood, his chair scraping on the floor.

"I'll get a job!" Izuku declared. "I can help pay for the food and rent! I don't care what it takes mom!" Izuku's eyes blazed with determination, surprisingly he wasn't crying. Typically, the waterworks would start whenever his emotions ran high.

Ochako saved his life, without her, Izuku would have been long dead, and nobody would have noticed. Ochako gave him a second chance, now it was his turn to return the favor.

"No Izuku! You have school you have to focus on! Especially if you have any hopes of getting into U.A! That school will take all of your time and more! You can't manage it with a job!" Inko said fiercely, hoping to placate her son. She had never seen him this passionate about anything other than heroes. Something about this girl really moved her son. While Inko was touched that someone meant this much to Izuku, she couldn't allow her son to jeopardize his future over it.

"This is my choice mom! I refuse to stand by and let her suffer! You know how bad orphanages and foster homes can be!" Izuku defiantly stated. For the first time, Izuku glared at his mother. Inko had never seen her son this upset about something before. Even after being bullied by Katsuki. The boy would just brush it off and start writing in his hero notebook. He was always too shy to confront anyone about anything. This was completely different then the Izuku she was used to. Inko sighed in defeat and looked her son in the eyes.

"You really care about her… okay, we'll talk with her in the morning." Izuku visibly calmed down, his emotional outburst draining his energy. The boy nodded slightly, muttering a light 'okay'. Inko quietly got up from her chair, preparing to go to bed.

"She wants to be a hero you know…"

Inko stopped in her tracks. Glancing back at her son, who still hadn't moved from where he was standing. He was talking so quietly that you would never had heard him if not for the deafening silence of the room.

"I want to give her a second chance…" Izuku muttered. Tears began falling from Inko's eyes. Her son was being a hero again. Trying to make other people's lives better. Even if it made his life much more difficult. Inko truly admired her son. The sheer will and determination he showed always motivated her to do her best. Because that's just what Izuku did. He always put his full effort into everything. He always studied hard for school, tried hard to help his community, worked day and night on his hero notes. Izuku Midoriya knew that he had to work harder than anyone else to achieve his dreams. So, all his life he worked to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To be the best hero he could be.

Inko closed the distance between them and wrapped her son in a tender embrace. He immediately reciprocated, wrapping his arms tightly around her. They were openly sobbing into each other, but neither of them cared. They always carried their emotions on their sleeves, letting them out whenever they needed to. Crying was almost a daily occurrence in the Midoriya home. They stayed like that for a while, crying into each other, letting their pent-up emotions out. Inko eventually pulled away from her son, who was still a sniffling mess.

"I love you Izuku. My hero."

"I love you too, mom."

Izuku's phone began ringing as his mother retreated to her bedroom. Izuku glanced at the contact and gasped in surprise.

_All Might _

The young boy was still giddy with excitement that he actually had the number one pro hero's contact information. The fanboy in him practically exploded at the thought. Izuku quickly answered the and put the phone to his ear.

* * *

Izuku tossed and turned uncomfortably in his bed. He couldn't sleep. Izuku lost track of how long he had been laying there. Trying in vain to get at least a little bit of sleep. The boy was thoroughly exhausted. After the events of the day, Izuku wanted nothing more than to peacefully sleep the night away. His brain however, wouldn't have it. While his body was weak and exhausted, his brain wouldn't rest.

_Oh. You're quirkless._

_You quirkless loser!_

_Get away from me freak!_

_What a useless Deku_

_I don't talk to people like you_

_What a piece of garbage_

The voices of his fellow students tormented him. Izuku was rejected by everyone else his age due to the fact that he was quirkless. Various people had completely turned away from their friendship with him when they learned he didn't have a quirk. By the time he got to middle school, the fact that Izuku Midoriya was quirkless was common knowledge. The boy was treated like a second-class citizen. Constantly looked down upon and treated like garbage because of his quirklessness. Izuku was always left out of everything, people avoided him like the plague. Izuku would always sit by himself during lunch. No one else daring to go near the quirkless boy. Izuku sighed as he turned and rested on his back, staring blankly at the familiar ceiling.

Izuku didn't let anyone know this, but he was depressed for most of his childhood. He dealt with constant social anxiety and suffered in silence. The thought of suicide had crossed Izuku's mind more than once. On days when Katsuki would beat him after school, days where he felt completely alone. Izuku never had anyone to vent his frustrations on. His mother wouldn't understand, his father had left long ago, and Izuku never had any friends who cared enough to listen to anything the young boy had to say. All stemming from one simple fact, the only thing made him different than anyone else. Saying that Izuku was afraid to tell Ochako about his quirklessness was a massive understatement.

He was fucking terrified.

For the first time, someone didn't immediately jump away from him in disgust. Nor did she insult him and try to leave. Even though Izuku wasn't the best at talking to people, she didn't seem annoyed with him. She even went as far as to hug him! No one had ever done that before. But Izuku knew that it was because she didn't know the truth.

If she knew the truth about him, she would leave him like the rest. She would be ashamed that Izuku was going to use a quirk that wasn't his. She was going to tease him and leave like the rest. She probably wouldn't even want to stay in his apartment with him anymore. She would rather live on the streets then be around him.

Izuku shook his head, trying to get rid of the dark thoughts. He had already made up his mind. He was going to tell her sometime soon. If she planned on going to school with him, he didn't want her getting teased because she was friends with the quirkless kid. If people saw that she was friends with him, then she would be isolated too. Izuku didn't want that for her. She deserved much better than that. Izuku glanced at the clocked resting on the nightstand.

-12:34 A.M-

Izuku groaned, throwing the covers off and making his way to the desk tucked into the corner of his room. Turning the desk light on, he fished his hero notebook out of his backpack. Mysteriously, it had come out of the incident with the sludge villain unscathed. He quietly placed the spiral notebook on his desk, letting out a sigh of sadness at the sorry state of it.

-Hero Analysis for the Future! No.13-

The poor cover had bits of it charred off and the pages were slightly waterlogged. After letting it dry, he discovered the ink had smeared a bit throughout the book; but it was still legible, and his sketches of the heroes weren't too damaged. Izuku flipped to the nearest open page and began working.

_Name: Ochako Uraraka_

_Quirk: Gravity Manipulation_

He continued filling out information for her, a basic definition of her quirk, writing down any uses and tactical advantages he could come up with. He hadn't really seen her quirk in action yet. While she had used it to stop his fall, he was far too distracted and caught off guard to study it. He had assumed that since she said gravity manipulation, then it was more then just removal of gravity on an object.

'Hmm, maybe she can shift the direction of gravity on things. She can likely make things weightless as well. That could prove very useful in a fight. Rendering an opponent weightless will leave them off balance and completely open to attacks. If she can increase the gravity affected on someone, then she could completely immobilize them by simply touching them. How did she disable it again? I'll have to find that out.' Izuku frantically wrote anything he could before running out of ideas. He needed to actually see her quirk in action before he could study it any further.

Izuku flipped to a new page and began idly writing basic information he knew about her. While it wasn't much, Izuku hoped that he would have the chance to fill the pages he set aside for her. Izuku's eyes began to droop unconsciously and before he knew it, his head hit the desk with a light thud, and he fell into a deep sleep. Snoring softly on the early sketch of Ochako he had been working on.

* * *

_*sssssshlink*_

_The sound of a cold knife effortlessly slicing through hot flesh echoed in her ears. Ochako looked up panicked, finding a middle-aged woman on the ground in front of her. Her brown hair spooling out on the floor around her. Hair that was all too similar to her own. Familiar brown eyes shot up and met her own. Pure panic and fear clouded this poor woman's eyes. Ochako let out a strangled sob._

_This woman was her mother_

_Ochako collapsed next to her mother, cradling her head in her lap. The woman let out a wet gurgling sound as she attempted to suck any oxygen out of her slit throat. Only thick spurts of blood came out as she soaked everything around her in her life essence. Blood was pumping out of the fatal wound with her heart rate, which was increasing at an incredible pace. Immense fear and dread flooded Ochako's head. She frantically moved her hands to cover the wound. Tears flowed freely from her panicked eyes as blood quickly flooded in between her fingers, staining her whole hand a sickening red. Ochako let out a loud cry as she felt her mother's life draining into her feeble hands. Tears mixed with blood on her cloths and the floor beneath them as the young girl wept openly. _

"_Do it. You can still save her." A menacing voice boomed from the shadows. Ochako looked up form the form of her mother to find a young woman strapped to a chair, a single light hanging above her. She was a slender woman, sporting long jet-black hair and was wearing a nurse's outfit. Eye makeup was streaming down her pretty face as she begged them to stop._

"_Please don't! If you do this, then my life will be over! Please no!" The woman begged struggling to free herself from her bindings. Ochako looked toward her mother and wept, she was nearly gone, Ochako didn't have any time to think. She held her hand out toward the woman, tears still streaming freely from her eyes. Horror filled the young woman's eyes._

_The woman screamed._

_When Ochako looked toward her mother again, she had found only cold, lifeless eyes staring back at her. She was dead. Her mother was gone. Ochako felt a void open within her, as if someone had torn her heart into pieces. She franticly placed her hands on her mother's throat, with some vain hope that it would heal the damage done._

"_No, no, no! Please! You can't leave me! Please!" The brunette screamed in agony as the world fell to black around her._

* * *

Ochako awoke with a loud scream. Her breathing was frantic and erratic. Her eyes darting to every corner of this mysterious room. Afternoon sunlight filtered through the window and cast the room in a pleasant light, directly contrasting how the young girl was feeling. The door slammed open and Ochako's head snapped toward the loud noise, her body was poised to fight the intruder. She was met with Izuku's surprised and concerned stare.

"U-Uraraka! What's wrong? How'd you get up there!" Izuku exclaimed as he slowly approached her. Ochako blinked in confusion before realizing that the bed was floating close to the ceiling. The young girl breathed deeply and pressed her fingers together, causing the bed to hit the ground with a loud crash. Izuku slowly approached the distraught girl, who had curled herself into a ball and was openly weeping.

"H-hey. I-it's okay Uraraka. I-I-I'm here." Izuku rested a tender hand on her shoulder. Ochako flinched at the sudden touch and Izuku immediately pulled his hand away. Guilt took over his senses, he had made her even more uncomfortable.

'What was I thinking? Stupid! Of course she won't be okay with you just touching her like that!' Izuku muttered apologies before quickly standing up and heading for the door. Ochako uncurled herself from the tight ball and held her hand out.

"Wait! Please… don't leave…" Ochako pleaded. She hadn't meant to offend him or push him away. She simply wasn't expecting the sudden touch. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that the sudden contact surprised her. The events of her nightmare still played freshly in her mind. She could still hear the screams of the poor woman she had damned. The wet gurgling sound her mother's throat made as she slowly bled to death. Ochako couldn't bear to be left along with her thoughts right now. Izuku hesitated and shyly looked toward the crying girl.

"A-are you sure? B-because I c-can leave you alone if you want! I don't want to intrude!" Izuku stared after her. The sight of this girl so broken hurt the young boy's heart. He wanted nothing more then to see her smile again. But he also didn't want to overstep and intrude on her privacy. Ochako's pleading eyes made Izuku's knees weak.

"Please."

Izuku nodded and made his way toward the bed again. Izuku sat at the edge of the bed while Ochako was halfway curled up in the corner. They didn't look at each other and the room was uncomfortably silent for a few moments.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Izuku asked rhetorically. He had already assumed what had happened. After suffering from endless night terrors himself, Izuku knew panic and fear that came with awakening from a particularly bad nightmare. Ochako silently nodded, confirming Izuku's suspicions. "Do… do you want to talk about it..?" Izuku asked hesitantly. He desperately wanted to help his friend with whatever she was going through. But he also didn't want to risk hurting her more by prodding particular nerves that would make her more distraught. Ochako stayed silent for a while. Trying to will her voice to produce any sound at all. After choking back a few sobs, she finally found her voice.

"My parents… they're… gone…" Ochako broke down. Tears freely flowing from her reddened eyes. She had never told anyone that, hell, she was still coming to terms with it herself. Only a week ago, she was happily living with her parents, enjoying life and living without any worries. Sure, they didn't have the most money in the world, but her parents loved her more than anything and they enjoyed the life they had. Then her life was turned upside down in the worst way possible. After everything happened, Ochako had freed herself and fled, while her parents had met their untimely demise in that horrific place. Images of her mother's bloody corpse flashed into her head again. Her throat cut wide open, blood pooling the ground beneath her, her eyes wide and dead.

That wasn't just a nightmare… it was a memory.

Without thinking Izuku wrapped Ochako tightly into his arms. She welcomed the comforting touch and cried into Izuku's shirt. Izuku felt tears stinging his eyes.

'How terrible! She lost her parents? Is that why she was homeless? Is she still being followed?' Izuku thought as he idly rubbed soothing circles on the young girl's back. Izuku wasn't entirely sure what to do in this situation. He never had to comfort other people. Couple that with his general social anxiety, Izuku simply didn't know how to handle this. So he didn't think, he just acted on his feelings, and hoped that was enough. Eventually, Ochako's sobs turned into quiet sniffles, she slowly pulled away and blushed at the state of Izuku's soaked shirt.

"I'm so sorry Midoriya! I didn't mean to do that!" Izuku chuckled. Honestly, he was lucky if his shirt wasn't stained with tears by the end of the day.

"It's okay Uraraka, really. As long as you're feeling a bit better." Izuku scooted away from the girl a bit to give them some space. Izuku felt like he was going to spontaneously combust at any moment with the amount of closeness the two were constantly showing. Ochako stared blankly at the bed.

"Not really, but I'm a bit better…" Ochako sniffled, attempting to stem the tide of tears that had been streaming from her tired eyes. The young girl tried to get a grip on her emotions. After her escape, she never really had time to think about everything that happened. She was constantly running or trying to survive. Now that she was safe however, everything came crashing down on her at once. Sending a tide of pent up emotions rushing over her. "It's just a lot ya know? I was living happily just one week ago. Now… my family is gone and I don't have a home…"

"You can stay with us." Izuku suddenly stated. Ochako's eyes widened. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't stay here with the Midoriyas. While her dream was to go to U.A and become an incredible hero, there were bad people after her. She was a target, and whoever she stayed with would be at risk too. She didn't want to risk Izuku and Inko's lives.

"No, I can't Midoriya. I'm sorry. These people are still searching for me. I know it." Ochako gave her friend a serious look. He returned a puzzled one. What could these people want with one girl? Her quirk was amazing, he had never seen anything like it. But was there something else she was hiding? Something worth murdering a family over?

'Nothing is worth that'

"But why? Who are they and why would they do this?" Izuku placed a hand on his chin, trying to put together the puzzle. Ochako shook her head and looked away.

"I don't know who they are, but they'll stop at nothing to get to me. That puts you and your mother at risk. I won't do that to you." Ochako shifted uncomfortably. She desperately wanted to hang on to this feeling of safety, but she knew that it was never going to last. At some point she would be found, and the nightmare would return. They would be back for her, she was sure of it.

"We can protect you Uraraka. Don't forget, we know All Might now. As long as he's around, you have nothing to worry about!" Izuku stated confidently. He still had immense respect for the number one hero. Even though his words had pushed Izuku to do something horrible, he knew Toshinori hadn't meant anything by it. It was a combination of Katsuki's bullying, his anxiety, and emotions running at an all time high that had pushed him over the edge. Toshinori made a mistake and apologized fervently about it. So Izuku had it in his heart to forgive the man.

"Speaking of All Might… Why would he tell you that you couldn't be a hero Midoriya? Even weak quirks can be trained into something amazing… I just can't figure out why he would say something so horrible. He crushed your dreams…" Ochako trailed off. She desperately wanted to change the subject. Horrific memories continued to pop into her head the longer they talked. She wanted, no _needed_ a distraction. Izuku had a dark look in his eyes. Dread filled him.

'Just tell her! Get it over with! Even if she hates you, she deserves to know. She'll find out at school anyway.' Izuku opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His gut wrenched at the thought of losing yet another friend. 'Come on Izuku! Just fucking tell her! Do it!' Izuku clenched his fists and steeled his nerves.

"I'm quirkless!" Izuku yelled a bit to loud and avoided Ochako's eyes. He didn't want to see it. The disappointment, the disgust in her eyes that would surely be the result of learning the truth. The icy fear of rejection was quickly becoming too much to bear. An immense pressure in his head made it impossible to think straight. He began breathing rapidly. Sound became muddled and a sharp ringing pierced his ears. Izuku wanted to run. To just run and never get close to anyone again. It only hurt that much more when they turned him away. He could just look the other way and ignore it when other students gave him looks of disgust. But not Ochako, the first actual friend he ever had in ten years. He felt insurmountable fear and dread the likes of which he had never felt before. Before he got lost in his inner turmoil any further, a warm feeling wrapped itself around him.

"I'm so sorry Midoriya. That must be terrible to deal with. I didn't know…" Ochako hugged him tightly. Wrapping her arms around him warmly. She was blushing fiercely despite the situation. Izuku's eyes were wide, he was absolutely stunned. Any fear or anxiety was completely washed away with relief and elation. Ochako… didn't…care? She didn't care that Izuku was quirkless? That he was a worthless Deku not even worth the air he was breathing? Izuku smiled widely and wrapped the girl in a tight hug, the waterworks began running again as Ochako, the first person in ten years, other than his mother, accepted his quirklessness and didn't judge him for it.

Izuku felt genuinely happy.

_She knows_

_She knows and she isn't leaving!_

_She doesn't care that I'm quirkless!_

"Why would I care that you are quirkless? It doesn't define you. Your actions define you Midoriya. That's why _you_ impressed All Might. Even without a quirk!" Izuku was openly bawling at this point. "All Might was impressed with you only because of your heroism. Not because of some flashy quirk." Ochako finished her impromptu speech. Izuku held her tighter and cried all of his emotions out. Ochako pressed her forehead into Izuku's chest and rubbed his back tenderly, letting him relieve his pent-up stress.

* * *

Most hero agencies were active all hours of the night. Villainy never slept, if anything, it became more prominent with the coming of night. The heroes of the world had to keep a constant watch over the world in order to keep the peace. While most heroes worked shifts, so they all had a reasonable distribution of work and rest. Certain pro heroes were called in case of extreme emergencies. All Might's agency was no exception. Being one of the most renowned heroes in the world came with many benefits, but with it came some side effects. His agency was running hot all of the time. It was always busy there. The number one hero had hired others to file paperwork and run the agency in preparation for his upcoming position as a U.A teacher. It wasn't big news yet, and only a few people in his agency were let in on it. Even still, All Might liked to take it upon himself to oversee the goings on of his agency. He always had work to do. Be it stopping criminals on the street, running his agency…

Or making training plans for two young upcoming heroes.

Bits of crumpled paper and notes littered Toshinori's large office. He had spent all night brainstorming ideas and coming up with efficient meal plans that would ensure that Ochako and Izuku were ready for the U.A entrance exam. The number one hero had already taken care of a few… issues regarding Ochako.

Toshinori had been loosely informed of the situation with Ochako shortly after announcing Izuku to be his successor. She was homeless and was clearly running from something. In order for her to get into U.A, she would need a boost in her academics and a place to stay. Toshinori used some sources and called in a few favors to get Ochako enrolled into Aldera Junior High, as well as have her status kept a secret. She hadn't talked about who was after her, but if they had resources then they could find Ochako in the school records and ambush her there. She would also be staying with the Midoriyas for the time being. It was the safest place for her at the moment and there was no risk of anyone selling her out. The only issue with that situation was the money.

After a long conversation with Izuku, he had learned that their financial situation wasn't exactly the best. They lived on one income and couldn't afford to take in Ochako without one of them taking on another job. Inko already worked full time and long hours, so it was unlikely that she would be able to find a steady second job. Izuku already had too much to do with school and training, so there was no way Toshinori was going to allow the boy to take a job either.

After hanging up, Toshinori directed his agency's financial team to send checks to the Midoriya household monthly. It would be more than enough to cover any expenses they might have and then some. The Midoriyas would be living comfortably from now on. It was the least he could do after crushing the young boy's dreams.

With that out of the way, Toshinori set about a training regimen. Taking into account their body types, which were very similar, their fighting style, quirk usage, diet, and anything else that might be related to the heath and fitness of the two teens. This was much easier said then done. He didn't want them just going to some random gym and working out for ten months. This needed to be real training, something that would whip their bodies into shape and make them proper heroes. While Izuku was the main focus, Toshinori refused to leave Ochako out of anything. She deserved to be a hero as much as anyone else.

He had decided on Dagobah Beach. The tides had moved in such a way that any garbage in the ocean eventually ended up there. Once, it was a very beautiful place, but now it was a junkyard of heavy appliances and general garbage. Plenty of heavy things to move and it was great community service. A perfect job for future heroes. Toshinori nodded to himself.

'Yes, this will be perfect. But based on my schedule, they will finish with at least three months to spare.' Toshinori hummed in thought. 'This works out well. I don't want to give young Midoriya One For All without any training. It could completely break him…' Toshinori reached for his phone.

'I have some phone calls to make.'

* * *

A/N: Frankly, I was overwhelmed with the amount of positive support I received for the first chapter. I honestly wasn't expecting people to like this so much. To be completely honest, this is the first time I have written something like this. So I wan't to learn how to write better to make this the best I possibly can.

I wanted to address something. Izuku and Ochako are moving very fast with their friendliness and closeness. They are both suffering from intense emotions and they will slow down a bit when it comes to an actual relationship.

I plan on having a chapter ready to upload every Sunday

Lastly, I just wanted to thank everyone for their support and reviews would be really appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Shopping_

"This is so stupid! Why do_ I_ have to recruit these losers?" A scratchy voice complained. The voice belonged to a young man with sickly pale skin. He was wearing a black hoodie and had a number of dismembered hands clutching his body. Blood red eyes gleamed with murderous venom through pale fingers. Sitting alone in a dark bar with him was a ghostly creature in a bartender uniform. It had some kind of metal brace around the neck of its collared shirt. Piercing yellow eyes glared frustratingly at the childish antics of the young man.

"Come now Shigaraki. Sensei wishes to have as many villains as possible for the attack. Surely you know this." The ghostly man leaned over the bar. Shigaraki sighed in frustration and lowered himself further onto the bar.

"But can't you do it? You can just warp everyone to one place and we'll have an army! What use is a warp quirk if you don't use it Kurogiri?" The pale man complained, scratching the dry skin on his neck.

'This is so stupid! We can just pick up a bunch of villains and criminals on the street. We can have an army in no time! This is such a waste of time! I'm not supposed to be playing diplomat and making deals with a bunch of wannabe villains!' Shigaraki leaned back on his bar stool, glancing at the number of dossiers that landed next to him. Each of which had a picture and description of the person in question. There was also a simple list of names, likely candidates for simple cannon fodder.

"These are highly valuable targets Shigaraki. Sensei asked for them specifically. There is also a list of low value criminals and villains interested in recruitment." Kurogiri stated as the pale man began looking through the list.

'Cloning? Boring. Compression? Nope. Fire? What a basic quirk. Muscles? Really? Vampire girl? Eh.' Shigaraki carelessly tossed the papers as he read them. Not particularly interested in anything presented to him. The young man sighed in frustration.

"I still don't see why these people are worth the trouble. An army of criminals would do just fine." Shigaraki muttered as he nonchalantly tossed the rest of the papers onto the bar. Sending them sprawling across the bar. Kurogiri growled at the blatant show of immaturity.

"Sensei knows what is best. We must do as he asks if we are to succeed. Come now Shigaraki, don't act like a child." The ghostly man began gathering the papers strewn across his pristine bar. Shigaraki huffed defiantly and got up from the bar stool, intending to walk away when something caught his eye.

Shigaraki took a step forward and snatched one of the papers up. It had a picture of a young girl; she couldn't have been older than fifteen. Her hair and eyes were a particular shade of brown and she had a bright, innocent smile. Her picture looked like it was found from a formal identification rather than a mug shot like most of the others. Shigaraki hummed in thought. This girl was definitely _not_ a hardened criminal. Unless she had a quirk that altered appearances. The television behind them crackled to life, indicating that Sensei himself was contacting them.

"_Shigaraki, Kurogiri."_

"Sensei." Both villains greeted their master.

"_I trust you have looked over the list." _The emotionless voice asked them. Shigaraki growled and approached the television. Knowing it was a one-way video call, the pale man raised the picture of the young girl toward the camera.

"Yeah. And who is this? I need hardened criminals ready to fight. Not some schoolgirl." Shigaraki sneered. Kurogiri continued to wipe the bar counter, listening intently to his master.

"_She is of great interest. It is a priority that you capture and bring her to me." _Shigaraki growled in frustration.

"I want to _kill_ All Might, Sensei. Not go looking for random girls for you." Shigaraki stated defiantly.

"_Her quirk is incredibly powerful. She could be the key to defeating All Might. Do not underestimate her." _The pale man sighed in resignation. As much as he hated the idea of wasting time on these fools, he couldn't exactly argue with Sensei.

"Fine. I'll do it."

"_You came up with this plan to attack U.A. I am giving you the means to achieve your goal, but it is up to you to succeed."_

* * *

The rest of the day was uneventful. After Ochako's nightmare, Izuku felt like she needed some space and left her alone. Inko had left early that morning for work and had missed the whole incident. Which Izuku figured was probably a good thing. He wasn't sure how comfortable Ochako would be with talking about her past.

Eventually, she quietly left her empty room and found something on the television to watch. Most channels were covering the sludge villain incident yesterday. Quickly avoiding anything regarding the incident, Ochako had found some movies to distract herself. Izuku had joined her halfway through the first one and sat next to her on their sofa. They passed the rest of the day together, watching movies and chatting with one another. Deliberately avoiding anything related to Ochako's nightmare.

After discussing Ochako's situation with Inko that evening, the two teens promptly collapsed into their respective beds. Emotionally drained from the day's events. Both teens tossed and turned throughout the night. Either unable to rest or not willing to deal with the horrible dreams should they fall to unconsciousness.

The next day was Sunday, both teens rose early and decided to make some breakfast together. Both in a similar state of tiredness. Inko had left early again for work and was already gone by the time they both awoke. Meaning they were on their own for cooking something to eat.

Izuku wasn't complaining though. He had grown up watching his mother cook and had actually grown quite interested in the activity. She had taught him everything she knew and Izuku had proven to be quite talented. He wouldn't call himself a chef or anything, but he could cook a mean Katsudon.

As the teens were finishing their food, a soft knock sounded at their door. Izuku left the table and answered it. He already had an idea who it was. All Might had texted him before, asking to come over. Izuku assured the hero that his mother was at work and that he didn't have to worry about revealing himself. He had no idea why Toshinori wanted to come over so soon, but he assumed it was about their training. Izuku opened the door to reveal All Might in his withered form carrying a stack of papers. The older man smiled and offered a friendly wave.

"Greetings Young Midoriya, may I come in?" Toshinori politely asked. He was wearing a simple white shirt and cargo shorts. Both articles of clothing far too big for him in this form. He had to wear his clothes that way, just in case he needed to buff up and be a hero at a moments notice. Izuku eagerly nodded and stepped out of the doorway.

"Of course All Might! Come in!" Toshinori nodded and made his way into the apartment. It was about as average as he expected. With simple furnishings and a few pictures on the walls. All of which featured Izuku and his mother. There was no male figure to be found.

"By the way… just call me Toshinori when I'm in this form kid, don't want anything to slip." Toshinori noticed Ochako sitting at the kitchen table, she cast a sidelong glance at the number one hero. He thought he saw a twinge of anger on her soft features, but it was quickly washed away.

"Hey All- Toshinori." Ochako corrected herself, the corner of her lips turned upward in a forced smile. Her idolization of the number one hero faltered. After hearing what he had done, she couldn't help but fell angry when she saw him. Izuku, the innocent boy with a heart of gold, had almost been taken from this world. All due to the withered man standing in front of her. It wasn't intentional of course, but it was the result that mattered, not the motivation.

Toshinori's face brightened at the sight of the young girl. She looked completely different from yesterday. After eating and resting, a spark had returned to her and the previously dull brown eyes of hers lit up. He was so happy to see her healthy again. Toshinori and Izuku quickly made their way to the table to join the brunette. Toshinori was now sitting across from her while Izuku reclaimed the seat next to her.

"Young Uraraka! How are you? You look so much better. I'm sure the Midoriyas have been treating you well?" Ochako nodded and swallowed the last of her food. She had been overwhelmingly grateful and thanked the Midoriyas every chance she had. The fact that she was fed, clean, and had a roof over her head was a direct result of this family's kindness. She would never take the second chance she was given for granted.

"Mm-hm! Izuku and Inko have both been wonderful to me!" Ochako exclaimed, smiling brightly at her green haired friend. Izuku blushed heavily at the sudden attention and scratched the back of his neck nervously. He didn't think that his actions had meant that much to Ochako. He just wanted to help a girl in need.

"W-well. Anyone would have done the same! I-I couldn't just leave you all alone like that!" Izuku stuttered and tripped over his words. He still wasn't used to anyone showing him any kind of attention, much less_ complimenting_ him on anything. Ochako smiled at him fondly.

"Thank you Midoriya, I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't run into you…" Ochako trailed off. The thought of them not meeting at that fated moment flashed into her head. The image of Izuku dead on the concrete and herself starving and dying on the streets crossed her troubled mind. She shook her head, ridding herself of her morbid thoughts. Izuku's face was beet red and he was attempting to stutter something that resembled a response to her kind words.

Toshinori smiled at the exchange. "Well, it makes me feel so much better to see you healthy Uraraka." The skeletal man presented both teens with a small stack of papers. It contained a unique schedule for each of them, containing everything from specific foods, workouts, and even sleep schedules. They were simply baffled at the sheer detail that was put into these plans. "This is what I call the 'Aim to Pass! American Dream Plan!' I have taken your bodies and quirks into account and created a rigorous workout plan that will make sure you are ready for the U.A entrance exam in ten months." Izuku flipped through the pages, noting that Toshinori had labeled times on specific days that he would be studying, eating, sleeping, working out, etc. Izuku flipped to the last page and looked at his idol in confusion.

"But this says that the plan only goes for seven months. That still leaves us with an extra three months before the exam!" Izuku exclaimed. He knew that training really hard really fast would take a lot of time and he would have to devote fully to it. But as it can be gained fast, it could be lost even quicker. It didn't make sense to train rigorously for seven months and then take a three-month break.

"Yes, Young Midoriya. The last three months are set aside for special training. I have called a few heroes to help train your quirks and fighting styles." Both teens eyes practically bugged out of their heads. More heroes? They were going to meet more pro heroes?! Izuku nearly fainted at the mere mention of personally meeting some of the people he grew up studying. Toshinori looked at Ochako and smiled at her. "As for you, Young Uraraka... There is another reason why I am here." Toshinori paused for a moment, allowing Izuku to recover from his momentary freak out. He handed another sheet of paper. She quietly took it and gasped at what it read.

It was an official enrollment letter from Aldera Junior High.

"A-a-an enrollment letter? I'm in Aldera! H-how..?" Both teens were simultaneously stunned and relieved at the news. In truth, Izuku was incredibly worried that Ochako might not have been able to enroll in Aldera. There was no reason that she couldn't, but Izuku was still worried. If Ochako hadn't been enrolled, she wouldn't have any transcripts to submit to U.A with her application. There was no way a top school would ever accept a student without any transcript scores at all. They had a reputation to uphold after all, and they never accepted any students without being absolutely sure they were the best.

"Doesn't matter. You're going to Aldera tomorrow to begin classes. Izuku's class had a free spot so you'll be taking classes with him." Ochako's smile widened. Not only was she going to be going to Aldera, but she was also going to be in the same class as Izuku!

'Are the people there nice? How is the schoolwork? Are the teachers strict?' Ochako had a million questions running through her mind. She turned to Izuku, opening her mouth to speak. She stopped dead when she saw his face. He was staring though the table with a dark expression clouding his normally soft features. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath. The brunette laid a hand on his shoulder, he quickly snapped to attention and looked around.

"Huh? What?" Izuku asked confused. Ochako gave him a questioning look. What was he so worried about? This was great news! They were going to have class together! Unless…

"Y-you don't want me to be in your class…?" Ochako asked hesitantly, maybe they weren't as good of friends as she thought they were. Maybe Izuku was only helping her out of pity, and not out of genuine concern. Did she get it all wrong? Did he actually hate her? She could feel the familiar pressure of tears at the thought of Izuku rejecting her friendship. His eyes widened.

"No! I-I m-mean I want you in my class! There's just…" Izuku took a deep breath. "There's some pretty mean bullies there. Kacchan and his gang are the worst…" Izuku trailed off. Ochako looked at Izuku, her previous hurt evaporated, concern now flooding her.

Izuku was being bullied.

'Is that what made him want to jump? He reluctantly told me about his quirklessness… like he didn't want me to know. Do people bully him because of that? That's horrible!' Ochako was disgusted at the thought of people bullying someone else because they were quirkless. One in every five people were born quirkless. It wasn't so uncommon as to instigate ridicule and bullying. Ochako thought for a moment, something seems familiar about that name. Toshinori leaned forward in his chair, giving his successor a concerned look.

"Young Midoriya, you're being bullied at school?" Izuku frantically waved his hands forward, hoping that he could diffuse the situation. He really didn't want to talk about his bullies. It was something in Izuku's life that he wasn't proud of. Who wanted to admit that their peers hated them and treated them like dirt?

"I-I always have been! Ever since they found out I was quirkless." Izuku's voice quieted. "Really, they don't bother me anymore…" The young boy lied. Ochako wasn't convinced one bit. Toshinori hummed in thought, he didn't seem to be convinced either, but he leaned back.

"You can talk to us you know. If this Kacchan becomes a problem, then I can talk to someone about him." Izuku was panicking now. He couldn't let someone else be punished and suffer because of him! Even if Katsuki bullied him relentlessly, he still had a chance to become a hero. Izuku wouldn't ruin that because of some teasing.

"Really! It's fine! You don't need to expel him or anything!" Izuku frantically yelled. "He wants to become a hero too! That would ruin him!" Toshinori shook his head. A bully wanted to be a hero? That wasn't something that you heard every day. Typically, the best heroes show potential from an early age. They show signs of courage, selflessness, and daring over everyone else. They put other people over themselves and put their best effort into everything. People's character was just as important as their skill in battle when it came to being a hero. Motivation was everything, if someone aimed to become a pro with the sole purpose of fame and fortune, they were in for a world of hurt. Only the truly righteous had any chance of becoming a top hero.

"Wait, I swear I've heard that name before…" Ochako stated, hand on her chin in thought. She was desperately grasping at faint memories trying to recall where she had heard it from. Izuku turned to her, sitting back in his chair.

"Well, his real name is Katsuki Bakugo. I just call him Kacchan for short. He was the victim of the sludge villain." A light bulb went off in Ochako's head and her eyes widened in realization.

"You risked your life to save a guy who constantly bullied you?" Ochako couldn't believe what she was hearing. Izuku risked his life, running head-first into danger while everyone else stood by. He ran straight into the maw of death to save a person who bullied and made his life hell. Ochako felt an odd pressure in her chest as she thought of Izuku's heroic selflessness.

"I knew I picked the right person to succeed me. You stepped up and saved someone who was a bad influence on your life. It didn't matter who it was to you, you ran forward and risked your own life anyway. You have the true soul of a hero Young Midoriya." Tears stung Izuku's eyes, Toshinori clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! Hey! No more waterworks aright? You can't be a pro hero if you are crying all over the battlefield!" The older man lightheartedly teased. Izuku numbly nodded, sniffing and wiping away any stray moisture from his face.

With the tense air between them lifted, Toshinori sat back and regarded Ochako. "Now for the last thing." The teens redirected their attention to the number one hero. "You're going to need some school supplies, Young Uraraka. As well as clothes and toiletries if you're going to be living here." Ochako was about to speak up and refuse his act of generosity. She already felt so lucky as it was. It was a miracle that she and Izuku found each other. If not for that, she would still be starving on the street. Toshinori held a hand up and continued. "I have way more money then I know what to do with so just consider it a gift. We're going to be heading to the mall soon so get yourselves ready."

* * *

"Wow! There's so much stuff! I don't even know where to start!" Ochako marveled at the sheer size of the shopping mall they were entering. There were multiple floors, with escalators flanking either side. Large walkways crisscrossed the open center of the huge building. A variety of stores packed into every available space. She was completely overwhelmed by the amount of people and honestly a bit intimidated by the magnitude of the shopping mall she was in.

Ochako had seen nothing like this back home. She lived in a more rural town rather than a large city like Tokyo. She was used to smaller convenience stores and locally owned shops. While she did take trips to larger cities with her parents, they only went to very specific places. Her parents were always incredibly protective and never allowed her to venture anywhere when they went out. Ochako had used to find it incredibly annoying that her parents never allowed her to do anything fun when they took trips to Tokyo. Eventually, as she matured, she got over it, not really seeing a need for crazy stores and restaurants. Now that she was here though, she found herself feeling a bit robbed of the experience when she was young. One restaurant in particular caught her eye.

Ochako gasped excitedly. "That vendor has mochi!" The young brunette pointed eagerly and was literally bouncing with excitement. Izuku laughed at the girl's excitement. He had never seen anything light up her face like that before. He hoped he would get to see her smile like that more. After everything the last few days, all he usually saw on her was a dark look. To see her so excited and happy about something caused a comfortable warmth to flow through the young boy's chest.

"I didn't know you were into sweets that much! What do you think Toshinori?" The two teens turned toward the skeletal man. He looked between their pleading eyes for a moment. Feigning to be heavily contemplating the decision. While he wouldn't want them eating such foods while on the Dream Plan, they technically wouldn't be starting until tomorrow. So, he figured he would let them enjoy themselves before they jumped feet-first into hell.

"Sure! Why not!" The older hero concluded. Ochako squealed in anticipation and excitement. She didn't like to admit it, but she had a pretty big sweet tooth; especially when it came to mochi. It was kind of a comfort food for Ochako. Her father would always make it for her whenever she felt down or upset. It always managed to cheer her up. Every time they went to a big city, they stocked up on supplies to make mochi at home. Eventually Ochako learned how to make it herself, but it never felt as special as when her father made it for her.

The young girl darted toward the busy vendor. Upon a closer look, it seemed that the place not only served mochi, but specialized in it. Ochako's mouth watered as she gazed at the long menu. Izuku and Toshinori caught up with her and stood behind her in line. Ochako was completely blown away by the long list of flavors they offered.

"I had no idea there were so many flavors! We typically only had basic things like Vanilla and Strawberry!" The young girl visibly vibrated with excitement, drawing an amused chuckle from the green haired boy behind her. Izuku loved some mochi, but it seemed like Ochako worshiped it.

'Maybe it's a childhood thing?' Izuku thought idly as he looked over the menu as well, equally surprised at the options they offered. 'Chocolate Sundae? That sounds pretty good. Salted Caramel, Vanilla Blueberry, they even have a Green Tea flavor?' Izuku thought in amazement.

They quickly got their treats and sat down at a nearby table. Izuku had chosen the Chocolate Sundae, Ochako had settled on the Vanilla Blueberry, while Toshinori got a simple mint chocolate chip. Ochako quickly dove into her food. Every bite sending waves of wonderful taste through her mouth. The young girl sighed contently. After the horrific week she had, the comfort of her favorite food was exactly what she needed.

After eating, the trio spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through shops and clothing stores. After a lot of convincing from Toshinori, Ochako picked out a variety of clothes and various other living supplies. She wasn't used to this at all. Ochako had always lived on a budget, always had a plan and reason to buy something. She was never able to just grab whatever she wanted and not worry about it. She couldn't help but add up the cost of everything she had already picked out. Her guilt growing with every card swipe. Toshinori always just told her it was fine. He had riches that he could never hope to use on himself. The merchandising alone made Toshinori one of the richest people in Japan.

Ochako still felt guilty.

No matter how many times Toshinori and Izuku told her it was okay, Ochako couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that hung heavily on her. Ever since that fateful day, Izuku and Toshinori had given her everything. A home, safety, education, a future…

They gave her life back to her.

Izuku took her from the clutches of death itself, when everything seemed it's darkest. She had nowhere left to turn and Izuku took her in with open arms. He lit up her world again and gave her another chance. He gave her the opportunity to become the hero she always wanted to be. Despite everything he had given her, Ochako hadn't given him anything in return. Not that he expected it.

Ochako gazed at her friend's messy mop of hair as he lightheartedly chatted with his idol. The evening sun's orange rays filtered through the mall's large windows. They were making their way through the main common area. Both were carrying a dizzying amount of shopping bags. No matter how she protested, Izuku stubbornly took all of the shopping bags they had procured throughout the day. Eventually they became too much for the poor boy and Toshinori offered to take half. She could see the sweat beginning to trickle down his skin as the heavy weight of the bags became increasingly harder to carry. He would always assure her he was fine whenever she asked. This was yet another selfless act Izuku was committing for her. Taking on the burden of carrying shopping bags so she could walk freely. As insignificant as it seemed, it meant a lot to her that Izuku was always so willing to put others over himself.

Even if he deserved to look after himself a little bit more.

Ochako knew how she was going to repay Izuku for all of his kindness. As much as he helped others, she knew he was deeply troubled. He took care of everyone around him and ignored himself. She could do that for him. She could be there for him, a friend that never left his side. She would remind him that his life _mattered_. That it wasn't something to be easily discarded. That he needed to care for himself as he did for everyone else around him.

"-do you think Uraraka?" Izuku slowly turned toward his friend, desperately trying to keep his balance. The bags shifting and nearly falling out of his arms. He could feel a tingling sensation running up and down his forearms. They should probably wrap this up before he completely lost circulation in his arms. Ochako snapped out of her musings.

"Huh?" Ochako's face flushed, she had been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't noticed that Izuku was talking to her. Izuku smiled, an amused gleam in his forest green eyes.

"Do we have any other stops? Is there anything else you need? We have clothes, toiletries, and the food for the Dream Plan…" Izuku mentally went through the list in his head. They obviously couldn't pick up the food supplies for the full seven months of the plan, but they covered at least the first few months.

"I think that's everything. Thank you again for everything Toshinori." Ochako thanked him for the thousandth time. The blonde hero chuckled as he held up the numerous bags.

"You thanked me after we left every single store. It's okay Young Uraraka. But I do think it is about time to head back." The hero's gaze turned toward Izuku, "Your mother will be arriving home soon correct?" Izuku nodded. Inko typically worked from seven in the morning until around five or six in the evening.

"Excellent! I wish to meet her!"

* * *

Inko Midoriya had been through a lot in her life. She was by no means old, but she had seen her share of strife. Marrying a villain had that effect on people. Well, Hisashi wasn't a villain per se, but he had been involved in some shady dealings and was doing business with some bad people. It wasn't like the man was insane or evil. He was nothing but gentle and comforting when it came to her. She could always tell that something was amiss, whenever he came home with mysterious injuries or how they never seemed to be low on cash.

Izuku was four years old when she learned the truth. When men from a rival gang attacked their home and attempted to take the mother and son hostage. They were fought off, but Inko gave her husband a decision that night. Either he could stay with his family and give up his villainy, or he would have to leave.

He chose the latter.

Inko was heartbroken. Izuku didn't understand.

His absence left a mark on the Midoriya family that day, something that would never quite heal. Inko still remembered the first time Izuku asked if his father was ever coming home. She felt a rift form in her chest as she hugged her son tightly, crying all of her pain away. She emotionally latched onto her son; he was that last thing she had. She had moved here so Hisashi could work, leaving all of her friends behind. Left alone in a strange city, a single mother. Inko had been through much more then most women her age. She felt that nothing could surprise her anymore.

Until she came home to her son and his best friend on the couch talking to a literal walking skeleton.

Izuku turned to her, giving a casual wave as if the presence of the withered man was completely normal. "Hey mom! Welcome back! There's someone who wants to meet you!"

The man turned to her and smiled, she felt a friendly and calming presence radiate off him. A stark contrast to the admittedly scary appearance of him. The blonde man extended a bony hand toward her. "Hello Ms. Midoriya! It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Toshinori Yagi." Inko broke from her stupor and shook his hand, exchanging a pleasant greeting with him.

The group found themselves at the table, Toshinori made tea for them, insisting that Inko sit down and rest after her long day, she had insisted that Toshinori was her guest and she should be the one treating him. Inko couldn't deny her curiosity as to who this man was and why he was in her home. She hadn't stated her curiosity, she assumed they would be explaining everything soon enough.

After sipping their tea for a few moments, Toshinori spoke. "I'm guessing you're wondering why I'm here." Inko simply nodded. Izuku and Ochako silently sipped their tea. They weren't sure how Toshinori wanted to proceed. It was his choice if he wanted to tell Inko his true identity. "I am from the All Might agency. I found these two during the sludge villain accident a few days ago." Inko leaned in, her interest piqued. "I see infinite potential in both of them. With your blessing, I would like to train your son to become a hero." Inko blinked for a few seconds. Her son was noticed by All Might's agency? They thought he could be a hero?

"Well…" Inko started, she was unsure about the whole situation. She wanted her son to achieve his dream more then anything. But he didn't have a quirk. What if he got hurt? Or killed? What if he got into a situation that was too much for his quirkless body to handle? She glanced at her son; his pleading eyes melted her resolve. She couldn't deny him his dreams. Toshinori was the physical embodiment of Izuku's future as a hero. If she denied him, if this man walked out the door, Izuku's dream would follow him. She couldn't do that to him. Izuku deserved this more than anyone. Inko smiled at the blonde man. "Yes. All his life, the only thing Izuku wanted to do was be a hero. He has always looked up to All Might, for someone from his agency to notice him is a dream come true. I can't deny him this. You have my blessing to train him. As for Ochako, I have no right to tell her what to do. But she has my blessing to do so as well."

The teen's smiled lit up the room. Having his mother's blessing was an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders. He didn't know what he would do if his mother didn't support him on this path. Izuku shot out of his chair and wrapped his mother in a tight hug, tears stinging his eyes. "Thank you! Thank you so much! This means the world to me! I…" Izuku broke down. His mother rubbed his back soothingly. Ochako and Toshinori smiled at the show of affection. It was clear that Izuku and his mother shared a strong bond. If Inko had denied Izuku this, it likely would have completely crushed him.

The Midoriyas drew away from each other. Inko found her own face was damp as well. They wiped their faces, recovering from the emotional outburst. While Izuku made his was to sit down again, Inko fixated an icy stare at Toshinori.

"But you will be careful. If my Izuku comes home seriously hurt and it's your fault. You will wish you where never born." An incredibly tense silence overwhelmed the Midoriya household. Toshinori stared into Inko's dead serious eyes and was slightly intimidated by her fierce protectiveness over her son.

"I swear, no serious harm will come to Young Midoriya or Uraraka while they are under my training." Toshinori stared dead into Inko's eyes. Displaying how serious he was. As long as he drew breath, he would protect these teens. Inko's serious face broke into a bright smile.

"Great! Now how about you stay for dinner Toshinori?"

The number one hero wasn't about to say no.

* * *

Izuku shot upward with an audible gasp. Drenched in sweat, he desperately attempted to catch his breath. The dark walls of his room suffocated him, sinister whispers from the darkness rang in his ears.

_Loser_

_Fucking Deku_

_You'll never be a hero_

_Just give up_

Izuku tightly shut his eyes, clamping his hands over his ears in a vain attempt to dispel the voices. The fleeting visions of his nightmare still plaguing him. His feet leaving the rooftop, the wind whipping at his face, the concrete ground quickly approaching, the physical embodiment of his quickly shortening life span. He couldn't stand the visions, the horrific memories. His decision to jump was made hastily, without any conscious thought. He would never replicate the action.

It didn't make him feel any better.

Every time the thought of the event crossed his mind, Izuku felt sick. Absolutely disgusted with himself that he resorted to such a bitter solution. He was weak. Too weak to handle his idol giving him a dose of reality. That he couldn't be a hero like All Might without a quirk. Maybe he could use support gear and become a small-time hero. But becoming a top pro hero was completely impossible to someone without a quirk.

Izuku felt entirely too hot and threw the covers off his shaking body. He quickly swung his legs over the mattress and buried his face into his hands. He suddenly felt a particular wetness cover his clammy palms. Izuku quickly came to the realization that he was crying…again. He tried to calm himself, but he just couldn't focus on anything. His mind was somewhere else, while the boy desperately attempted to regain control of his basic body functions. A particular scene kept playing in his head.

"_You're such a pathetic excuse Deku!" Katsuki laughed as he punched the green haired boy in the gut, forcing the wind out of his lungs. Izuku coughed and doubled over, clutching his bruising stomach. His shirt was in tatters, scratches and burn marks covered his body. His hair was clumped in sweat and dirt. Tears continued to stream down the young boy's face as he defiantly stared his bully in the eyes._

"_I-I won't let you hurt him!" Izuku yelled through clenched teeth. This was the first time Izuku had stood up to his bully in recent history. They were in their first year of middle school. Izuku had been immediately isolated from everyone, being labeled as the quirkless kid. Everyone avoided him for fear of feeling Katsuki's wrath. The bad-tempered blonde never had any other targets for his bullying. He was always bad mannered and insulted everyone around him. But he never actively beat on anyone except Izuku. _

_No one had ever wanted to be Izuku's friend. He went though his middle school life alone. Until a transfer student started talking to him. He was a boy the same age as Izuku. With jet black hair and a charming personality. He had made friends quickly and easily. He had been warned about Izuku by the other students almost immediately. That he should just stay away from the green haired boy. _

_One day after school he tried to talk to Izuku. Pulled him aside past the school's main steps. Izuku was taken aback at the fact that anyone would consider spending any time with him. Before he could get a word in, the nice boy disappeared in an explosion. Izuku sprung into action and __**hit**__ Katsuki. It wasn't an incredibly hard hit, but it was all that Izuku could muster._

_Katsuki proceeded to beat him._

_After taking several hits and explosions from the blonde, Izuku now stood in between him and the boy, barely able to stand. Students around them simply walked around the feuding boys, not wanting to suddenly be on the receiving end of Katsuki's rage. The blond glared with murderous intent at the green haired boy. He clenched his fist and drew it back, preparing a huge punch. Sparks and tiny explosions popped from his fist._

"_One day you're going to learn your place nerd! Under my fucking foot!" Katsuki screamed and threw his fist forward, striking Izuku dead in the center of the chest. Burning away anything left of his shirt and knocking the boy several feet back._

_Izuku's vision was splotched with white as he hit the hard pavement. He couldn't breathe, he tried to inhale and only managed a choked noise. He couldn't muster the energy to move, his arms and legs felt filled with lead as he tried to shake the dizziness from colliding with the ground. The world around him was split double, he blinked trying to focus. His chest stung terribly; he knew the feeling of being hit by one of Katsuki's explosions. The immediate concussion and force of the hit, then the singed skin and burns afterward. He had never been hit by one this powerful, he must have really pissed him off this time._

_Eventually, Izuku was able to breathe again, coughing and sputtering as Katsuki grabbed him by his green hair and leaned down, now eye level with him. "Don't ever forget the trash you are. No one would ever want to be friends with someone like you Deku." Katsuki hatefully spat in the boy's face and unceremoniously dropped him. Izuku's head collided with the pavement again and he shrieked in pain. _

_He didn't know how long he was laying there. Maybe a few seconds or minutes, but he snapped to attention when he noticed stirring next to him. Izuku turned his head, seeing that the boy from earlier had risen back to his feet, recovering from Katsuki's initial blow. Izuku mustered all of his energy and held out his hand, wordlessly asking the boy to help him up. The boy looked Izuku up and down, noting his bloodied chest and beaten body. He sighed and shook his head._

"_This shit isn't worth it man…" With that he walked away. Izuku listened to his fading footsteps, pressure building in his chest with every fading step._

_Izuku cried, all alone, lying beaten at the hands of Katsuki once again._

Izuku's hand unconsciously traced the large burn scar that lingered on his chest. Katsuki left a mark on him, more than just a physical one. After that Izuku lost any hope of having any friends at school. Everyone heard about the incident shortly after and further isolated Izuku if that was even possible. Now, he couldn't help but see the same situation, but with Ochako instead of the black-haired boy.

Izuku could already hear the voices of his classmates berating and bullying Ochako for even being in close proximity to him. Sure, she said that she didn't care that he was quirkless, but would her opinion change when everyone around her hated her? Would she leave him too?

'No' The simple word cut through Izuku's spiraling thoughts like a knife, stopping them dead. 'Uraraka isn't like that. She's different. She's a good person' That single sobering thought snapped Izuku back to reality. The whispers stopped; his heart rate began slowing down.

Izuku's head cleared, his breathing became controllable again. Izuku took a deep breath, settling his nerves. He shook his head, knowing he wasn't going to be getting back to sleep anytime soon. Heading over to his desk, Izuku opened his notebook.

Meanwhile, Ochako was in a similar state. The young girl sighed in frustration as she shifted into another position that may help sleep come to her. She had been tossing and turning all night. Not because she physically couldn't sleep, in fact, she was exhausted. She couldn't sleep because she couldn't bear what came with it. The horrific nightmares, the visions. Every time she closed her eyes, she relived some horrific memory. Ochako looked toward her ceiling, counting the lightly glowing starts they had put up, hoping to find some kind of comfort.

Ever since Ochako was a little girl, she was fascinated by the concept of space and stars. She loved three things the most, her family, space, and heroes. She would look up to the night sky, marveling at the billions of stars that speckled the sky. They always seemed to calm her, even on her worst days. Ochako closed her eyes as a faint memory came back to her.

_Ochako wandered into living room of their small home. Clutching the soft blanket from her bed across her chest. Rubbing her tired eyes, soft feet padding the light carpet. She had no idea how late it was; the lights were still on so at least one of her parents was still awake. The little girl yawned, finding her father sitting on their sofa, busily typing away on his laptop. While the family didn't have a lot in terms of money, her father needed his laptop to run the construction company. They weren't in poverty by any means, but they also weren't rich enough to go around and just casually buy whatever they wanted. They had to save up for four months just to buy their television._

"_Papa?" Ochako's light voice echoed throughout the small room. It consisted of a simple sofa on one side of the room and their small television on the other. A large window on the wall adjacent from the television looked out upon the front yard. Typically, the family would gather here and watch rented movies together. Sharing a large throw blanket, enjoying the time spent together. His attention snapped toward her, he gave a her a worried smile, setting aside his laptop. _

"'_Chako, honey? What are you doing up?" He asked lightly as his five-year-old daughter made her way to sit next to him, dragging her small blanket up with her. _

"_I had a bad dream" Ochako gazed up into her father's eyes, finding them filled with understanding and comfort. He brought his daughter into a tender hug._

"_I'm sorry 'Chako." He rubbed his hand through the light brown locks of his daughter's soft hair. She wrapped her little arms around her father's neck. Enjoying the conforting touch. Her father paused for a moment. "Hey, I wanna show you something." Ochako looked up at her father in wonder as he lifted her up, carrying her in one of his arms. _

_ Getting up and making his way to the door, the older Uraraka opened the front door. Cool night air rushed across their faces, causing goosebumps to spread across their skin. It was incredibly dark outside, their house was a good distance away from anyone else, so they were free from any light pollution._

_Sitting down together in the grass her father smiled at her and turned her head to look upward. Ochako's eyes widened. There were billions of twinkling stars in the night sky. Each twinkling and shining in their own color and rhythm. It was the most amazing thing Ochako had ever seen. Her breath was taken away by the absolutely beautiful sight._

"_Whenever I feel lost or alone, I look toward the stars." Her father started as Ochako continued to stare into the night sky. "There are so many wonderous things out there, so many beautiful things just waiting to be experienced." Her father smiled and looked back toward the sky. "It gives me hope that there is so much wonder and mystery out there. And all we have to do is reach out and grab it. Ochako gasped as a star shot across the sky. Lighting up the night sky in a brilliant blue trail of flame. "You can do anything you set your mind to Ochako. If you believe in yourself, not even the stars are out of your reach."_

Ochako smiled at the faint memory, glancing around at her space themed room. Various posters featuring planets, space shuttles, even her sleepwear was speckled with stars. None of it brought her comfort tonight. The brunette sighed in frustration. She would give anything for a peaceful night of rest. She grabbed her new smart phone and looked at the time.

-2:47 AM-

Ochako sighed in defeat, setting the phone back on her nightstand. She knew she needed a good night's rest for tomorrow. It was her first day at Aldera after all. But she couldn't bear to see it all happen again. In her dreams she saw everything in painful detail. Relived it as if it was happening all over again. Every agonizing moment materialized and cemented into her mind.

Her mother

Her father

The _torture_

Phantom pains appeared often whenever Ochako thought about those dark moments. A deep cut… a beating…a broken bone. Ochako felt it as if it were happening to her in that very moment. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to openly wince in pain or break down in tears right then and there.

But she had to be strong.

She had to be strong for Izuku. She swore that she would help him out of the darkness he had fallen into. She had to be an unwavering pillar for him. Someone to lean on when he felt broken down. She couldn't show her weakness to anyone but herself. She could handle it.

She was okay.

_'No, you're not'_

Ochako needed a distraction. She absentmindedly grabbed her phone and opened a messaging app. She, Izuku, and Toshinori had set up a group chat on a messaging app so they could all keep in touch with one another. She had another private chat with Izuku for more personal conversations that didn't involve training. Disappointment crossed her face when his icon wasn't lit up.

'What was I thinking? No one should be awake at this hour!' Ochako's frown deepened as she went to shut off her phone. She didn't really know why she even opened the app. She just did it without thinking. Maybe she just needed someone to talk to.

Izuku's icon lit up in blue.

Ochako's eyes widened as the chat told her he was typing. What was he doing? Why was he awake? He should be sleeping!

**Izuku: You're awake too?**

**Ochako: Yeah… just thinking**

**Izuku: U want to talk about it**

…

**Ochako: Not rly**

**Izuku: I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!**

**Ochako: Its ok! Don't wry**

**Ochako: Actually**

**Ochako: Can I come to your room?**

…

**Izuku: Sure! Try not to wake up my mom**

Ochako closed her phone and slipped out of her room as quietly as possible. In a couple of steps, she reached her friend's door. A signature All Might nameplate emblazoned across the center of it displaying "Izuku". Ochako knew that her friend was a big All Might fan; she had witnessed Fanboy Izuku at the mall when they passed a signature All Might merchandise store. She pointed out various figures and posters that she thought were cool, but he always said that he already owned them. She couldn't imagine what his room looked like. Come to think of it, she had never actually _been_ in his room yet. A blush rose across her cheeks as she thought of being in a boy's room. Alone. At 3 AM.

'It's fine! We're just friends! There's nothing weird about it!'

The young girl silently turned the doorknob and creaked the door open. She hoped that he hadn't expected her to knock first. She had assumed that he knew she was coming over quickly, Ochako didn't want to accidentally wake Inko across the hall with any unnecessary noise. She took a step into his dark room, closing the door behind her. Ochako noticed him hunched over on his desk, focused on writing something. As the brunette took a few steps forward, she could hear that he was softly muttering to boot. Ochako noticed he was writing something in a notebook of some sort, and… was that a drawing of _her_?

"Uhh, hey Midoriya." Ochako softly whispered, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder. Despite her efforts, she still managed to startle the boy. He jumped back, letting out a soft yelp. As he met her eyes, his surprise quickly diminished. In the faint light, Izuku's eyes shimmered like glowing emeralds in the darkness. She noticed he was wearing All Might sleepwear as well. Ochako took a moment to look around the room. She couldn't see very much in the darkness, but she could still make out most of the various All Might memorabilia littering the walls and shelves. From his bed to the walls, the whole room was All Might. She noticed a small bookshelf with various manga and exactly twelve notebooks lined up in order. She giggled softly at the fact that Izuku not only looked up to All Might but was literally his #1 Fanboy as well.

Izuku suddenly grew very self-conscious. He never had anyone but his mother in his room before. He wasn't sure how comfortable he was with someone looking around at his staggering collection of All Might merchandise. Izuku knew it could come off as creepy, one could even call it an unhealthy obsession, but he couldn't help himself. He looked up to All Might for as long as he could remember. The man was the male figure in his life, even though he had never really met him. Izuku drew his inspiration from the hero. Watching everything he did and learning everything he could. Izuku listened to all of the press conferences and interviews with the number one hero. Committing every speech to memory and living by the man's every word. He even learned to imitate All Might's face! But he wasn't sure he was going to show _anyone_ that.

"Woow! This is amazing Midoriya! I didn't know _this many_ All Might figures even existed!" Ochako whispered excitedly, her bright smile lighting up the room. Izuku felt relieved, she wasn't freaked out by his enormous collection. Izuku rubbed his neck, letting out a chuckle.

"You think so? It took me my whole life to collect all of them." Izuku modestly stated. In all honesty, some of those figures were incredibly rare. He had received some from special events and contests. He didn't care for boasting his impressive collection. His best friend thought they were cool, so he was happy.

"It's pretty awesome. By the way, what's in that notebook? You seemed pretty focused on it…" Ochako approached the desk, curious about what Izuku was writing. The boy panicked and scrambled to the book, quickly covering the embarrassing drawing with his hand.

"I-I-It's nothing Uraraka! I just write about heroes that I think are cool!" Izuku tried to explain through the redness that was quickly spreading across his face. What would she think if she saw him _drawing_ her? That was creepy wasn't it? That was definitely creepy.

Ochako's eyes lit up. "Wow! Really? You study quirks? That's really cool!" Izuku didn't know what to do with himself. Everyone always made fun of him for his obsession with heroes. They always thought his studying of heroes was stupid and nerdy. Now this girl not only tolerated those things, but she thought they were _cool_? Izuku felt an odd pressure in his chest, a comfortable warmth spread through him, making him feel genuinely happy.

"You really think so?" Izuku couldn't believe his ears. Ochako nodded eagerly.

"Mm-hm! Imagine all of the combat tactics you could learn!" Izuku nodded in agreement and quickly flipped the book to a less… embarrassing hero. He landed on Eraserhead's entry. Ochako's eyes lit up as she read through the thorough description of his quirk, along with all of the tactical and practical applications. Izuku had written _so much_ on him. She noticed that he had an entry for his support gear as well. There was a sketch of the raven-haired man with his goggles over his face on the adjacent page. Ochako was impressed at the level of detail included in the entry. Izuku even went as far as to include hypothetical uses for the quirk and equipment.

They spent the night flipping through the pages of the thirteenth edition of his Hero Analysis notebooks. They had moved to Izuku's bed, laying on their chests side by side with Izuku's various notebooks strewn around. Izuku explained everything he had written on his entries with bright enthusiasm. He was never able to actually share his information with anyone before. It felt good to talk about his interests so openly with someone. Ochako was even able to point out a few things Izuku had never thought of before. Helping him add to already thorough entries.

Ochako enjoyed the time she spent with Izuku. When they were going over his hero entries, she had found that the dark thoughts that had been plaguing her for the past couple nights were reduced to a faint whisper. Ochako was grateful for the distraction from her nightmares and troubled mind, just casually talking about heroes and quirks with her best friend felt immensely better then siting alone in her room struggling against her inner demons. While she wasn't as into the heroes as Izuku was, she was genuinely interested in the combat tactics she could use against specific quirks. The right places to hit, how to force an enemy to overextend themselves and create an opening, how to use people's quirks against themselves. She was learning a lot by studying Izuku's notebook with him. They had gone over all but one entry so far.

"Hey Midoriya, what was the entry you were working on when I walked in?" Ochako whispered. They had been there for a few hours already and had managed to keep quiet enough that they didn't wake Inko. Izuku blushed heavily and shook his head.

"It's n-nothing! I mean, it's not done yet? Yeah!" Izuku attempted to close the book when Ochako stopped him. Their hands brushed and Izuku went stiff as a board, letting go of the book entirely. Ochako smirked in victory and opened the page. Her jaw dropped.

It was her.

Izuku had written one… two… no _three_ pages on her. There was also a rather detailed drawing of her on one of the pages. There was noticeably more detail on her picture then any of the others. It was sketch of her looking toward something skyward, her eyes full of hope and wonder. She noticed that there was a lot of basic information on her. There was also a general history of what he knew, which admittedly wasn't much. Ochako was incredibly flattered, Izuku thought she deserved an entry in his _hero_ book. They weren't even enrolled into U.A yet, and Izuku thought she was a hero? Ochako blushed at the thoughtfulness of the gesture.

"You uhh… wrote a lot about me." Ochako turned toward her friend, only to find him cowering on the other side of the bed, his face buried in his hands, ineffectively hiding his beet red face.

"I-I-I'm so sorry U-Uraraka! I'm sorry that I'm creepy! Please don't hate me!" Izuku begged. Ochako couldn't suppress a laugh. She tried her hardest to keep herself quiet, holding a hand over her mouth.

"It's okay! It's okay!" Ochako comforted. "Really, I'm flattered that you would consider me worthy to be in your hero book." Ochako glanced back at her detailed entry in the notebook.

"Of course, Uraraka. You're already a hero to me. Without you…" Izuku didn't need to finish the sentence. They had both already thought a lot about what happened. What could have been if she hadn't been there. Ochako decided not to walk down that particular thought path.

"Well, it looks like you missed a couple things about my quirk… here" Ochako took one of Izuku's pens and updated a few things about her quirk. He had missed a few small details about it, such as how to deactivate it and the queasy side effects. Satisfied, Ochako put his pen down and nodded to herself. Looking back to her friend, she found that he was next to her again, looking over her shoulder at what she wrote. Ochako blushed at the sudden closeness.

"Wow! Your quirk is amazing Uraraka!" Ochako smiled up at her friend. He stared at the added notes with renewed interest. Studying every word she wrote and committing it to memory. Izuku eyes wandered to hers. An odd silence followed. Not uncomfortable but it held an odd tension. The teens stared into each other's eyes, quickly becoming lost in each other.

"**THE MORNING IS HERE" **Izuku's 6 AM alarm blared, completely shattering the moment. Izuku jumped back, he scrambled to his nightstand, slamming his arm down on the offending device. The two stuttered and tripped over their words. Neither having any idea what just came over them. Ochako quickly excused herself, fanning her heated face desperately, leaving Izuku alone in his room.

The green haired boy held a hand to his chest, feeling his racing heartbeat relentlessly pound against his chest.

What was that _feeling_?`

* * *

A/N: So there it is! Hopefully this isn't too slow paced for people. Honestly, this chapter was pretty unplanned. Originally I wanted to make this chapter about Ochako's first day at school, but I thought there were too many things that needed to be addressed before that happened. Also, that fucking scene with Toshi meeting Inko did _not_ want to be written.

Sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or anything else like that. I don't have a Beta reader and I can only reread this so many times.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_School_

The train ride to Aldera was passed quickly. Both teens chatting idly throughout the ride. Both where nervous about the coming day; neither knowing what to expect. Izuku hoped that Katsuki would take it easy on him for once. He didn't want Ochako to see that. She was sure to intervene if Katsuki and his gang got rough. The image of Ochako beaten and bullied crossed his mind. Izuku couldn't let it come to that. He would fight Katsuki himself if he had to.

Ochako felt nervous about a multitude of things. She was worried about Izuku in general, she felt that he was still far from an okay state of mind. It would take time for him to crawl out of his pit of depression and low self-confidence. She would help him every step of the way. She was also nervous about these bullies that Izuku talked about. Where they physical, would they try to beat him?

The train eventually stopped at the stop near the school. They silently gathered their things and made their way off the train. The Junior High School came into view. It was… bigger than Ochako imagined. The morning sun reflected off its windows. Izuku led his friend toward the front steps of the school. She glanced around nervously at the whispers and odd looks they received. The young girl felt cold anxiety wash over her. Was Izuku such an outcast that walking to school with someone was that much of a surprise? The green haired boy suddenly stopped, Ochako planted her feet, skidding to a stop next to him. Groups of students walked around the pair, giving them odd glances.

The school loomed before them ominously. This place was Izuku's personal hell for the last few years of his life. He dreaded coming here every day. Sometimes he would fake an illness just to take a day off from the constant harassment. Izuku was forced to either hide his face or take a side door into the school to avoid Katsuki's group who typically situated themselves at the main entrance. This place symbolized the suffering and pain Izuku had endured throughout his early teen years.

This place is where Izuku learned everything he knew. When other children were learning how to be outgoing and charismatic with others, Izuku learned how to hide away and seclude himself. While other students learned how to be accepted and loved, Izuku learned that he would forever be alone. This was his least favorite place on the planet.

And now he was dragging Ochako into it with him.

The young girl turned her gaze to Izuku. Finding him blankly staring at the gleaming windows of the Junior High. "Hey, you okay?" Ochako placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping to snap him out of whatever thoughts he had lost himself in once again.

'He's worried about those bullies.' Ochako thought as she gave her friend a confident smile.

"Don't worry Midoriya, as long as I'm here, no one will bother you." Izuku's eyes shot to hers. He was afraid, so afraid of her getting hurt because of him. Anyone else who had come anywhere close to him in the past few years ended up on the receiving end of Katsuki's infamous explosions. While he never heavily targeted anyone but Izuku, others would sometimes end up in the crossfire. It was deemed in everyone else's best interest to just ignore the poor boy. He didn't want to see her hurt because of him.

"You don't understand Uraraka… Katsuki doesn't care who you are. If you get in his way, he'll go right through you. It's always how he's been. He just blows right through anything in his way…" Izuku stated with a hint of… admiration? Ochako shook her head, that couldn't be right.

"I don't care about what Bakugo thinks." Izuku's eyes widened, as if that was the first time, he had ever heard someone say that. "As long as I'm here, your days of being bullied are over." Ochako said confidently. While she didn't have a ton of fighting experience, she wasn't just going to stand idly by and allow Izuku to be cut down any longer. A concerned frown crossed Izuku's face.

"I… I just don't want you to get hurt Uraraka." Izuku regarded the young girl. She was wearing the black school uniform that they had received yesterday. Which consisted of light grey shoes, socks that rose to mid-calf, a dressy black shirt and red tie. In all honesty, Izuku hated the Aldera uniform. Flashbacks of children in black and white clothing teasing and laughing. Making him want to just curl into a ball and cry, hidden from the world. He looked at the uniform on Ochako and didn't see the threatening visage of a bully. But the form of a concerned friend.

Friend.

The word had previously meant nothing to Izuku suddenly became the thing he valued the most in his life. Izuku couldn't really remember what having a friend felt like. After being bullied by Katsuki for so long, Izuku eventually perceived it as normal and always just put up with it. Never really questioning that everyone around him saw him as trash. As a Deku.

Ochako had changed his whole perspective overnight. She showed him was a real friend was. The kindness she showed, the comfort, the support. Everything that Izuku never knew he yearned for. Izuku's world was a choking darkness. Growing darker and thicker as his years went on. To the point where he couldn't take it anymore and needed a way out. As Izuku allowed the darkness of his life consume him, a light appeared. Small at first, but it quickly grew in size and brightness until it was lighting up Izuku's dark world again. It was brilliant, Izuku felt warmth and happiness fill him as his world was lit up again.

He was terrified of losing it. Losing _her_.

Ochako smiled comfortingly, placing her hand on her friend's arm. "Don't worry Midoriya, I'll be fine okay? I'm a lot tougher than I look!" She grabbed his hand and began walking forward, pulling him along. "Now let's go! We're gonna be late!" A smile graced Izuku's face as he ran after her.

The hallways of Aldera Junior High were constantly abuzz with activity before school started. With students hanging out in their friend groups, to people doing last minute studying, there was always something going on.

Not now.

Izuku Midoriya was walking down the hall with a _friend_.

Izuku and Ochako walked side by side down the hallway, clutching their backpacks nervously. She could deal with a bully or two. A good show of force would generally set them straight. _This_, however, wasn't what she was expecting at all.

They were all _staring_.

Every student in the hallway was silently staring at the duo. Some were stares of confusion, others of bewilderment. Many however, were stares of pity directed at Ochako. As if she was braving a storm and being Izuku's friend so they didn't have to. She gave them a piercing glare, causing many of them to avert their eyes. She glanced next to her to find that Izuku had a hand shielding his face, attempting to escape the stares of everyone around him.

"Let's go Midoriya, just ignore them." Ochako sped up their pace. Izuku looked up at her. Slowly removing the shameful hand from his face. He let out a sigh and nodded, quickly following alongside his friend. There was no need to be ashamed. He was just walking with his friend!

They made it to the classroom without incident, albeit suffering a deafening silence in the hallways the entire time. Finding his seat near the back of class, Izuku slowly sat down, Ochako followed and claimed the seat next to him. She didn't know if it was occupied, she didn't really care either, from what she had seen already, the other students would probably thank her for taking the seat next to Izuku.

Only a few other students were in the classroom, they seemed to either not notice them or simply didn't care enough to look at them. Which was fine with Ochako, she didn't need more people staring at them like they were from another planet. Bullies were one thing, but to have every student in the school stop and_ stare_ at you was completely unnerving. Izuku nervously drummed his fingers on the corners of his desk before pulling a variety of notebooks from his bags.

"So, since were here early, I figured I'd catch you up on some class notes." Ochako nodded and pulled out a few of her own notebooks. After comparing notes and a bit of catching up on Ochako's part, a particular worry was alleviated. She was nervous that she was behind on the curriculum and would have to study harder to get into U.A. After talking with Izuku, she found that she wasn't as behind as she thought she was.

More students began filtering into the classroom, chatting away in their friend groups, occasionally stealing a curious glance in Izuku's direction. Bakugo walked into the classroom, his hands buried in his pockets. Izuku's breath hitched in his throat when the blonde sent an icy glare his way. Terrified green eyes locked with cold red ones for a few moments before Katsuki huffed and noisily sat at his desk. Izuku let out a breath of relief, Ochako let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as well.

With the tension in the classroom lifted, the teacher arrived, and class began. Ochako felt relieved that no one came to take her seat from her. The classroom had filled up completely, no one came to take Ochako's seat. It seemed that the only empty seat in the class was right next to Izuku. Ochako decided to ignore the implications of that. Today, Izuku's life at school was going to change. Their teacher quieted the students and cleared his throat.

"Good morning class, I would like to start the day by introducing a new student." The students looked around excitedly, muttering to each other. Ochako caught some of the things they were saying.

"Oooh! I wonder if it's a cute guy!"

"If it's a hottie, I call first dibs."

"Is it that brown haired girl?"

"The one next to Deku?"

"I feel so sorry she has to sit next to that loser."

"We should save her. No one deserves to suffer sitting next to ."

Ochako's fists clenched in anger at some of the comments drifting around the room. Was Deku some kind of cruel nickname? How could these people be so mean? She felt an odd feeling bubbling up inside her, she just wanted to teach each of them a painful lesson. Before she could tell them off, she felt a soft hand on her shoulder. Her rage filled eyes met his concerned ones. He shook his head, wordlessly telling her that an outburst wasn't worth it. Ochako sighed, nodding her head and focusing back on the teacher.

"Quiet down! She isn't from around here, so take it easy on her. Why don't you introduce yourself?" Ochako stood up, feeling the eyes of everyone in the classroom on her. She cleared her throat scanning the room, a hint of anger lingered in her eyes.

"My name is Ochako Uraraka." Ochako forced a smile. The boy sitting in the desk in front of her spoke up.

"What's your quirk huh?" The boy smirked; this was the test. Aldera had a hierarchy of sorts. People with the coolest quirks had the most friends and power in the school. People like Bakugo ran the place. While other students with useless or uninteresting quirks had their own friend groups and were less popular. Ochako smirked, she would get a bit of revenge today.

She touched the edge of his chair with all of her fingertips, causing him to begin floating aimlessly toward the ceiling. The boy gripped his chair with white knuckles, not expecting to suddenly be multiple feet of the floor. In his panic he accidentally activated his quirk, stretching his neck to an unreasonable degree. The class laughed at the boy's panic.

"I can manipulate gravity by touching something with all of my fingers." Ochako displayed a confident smile. Although an uncomfortable queasiness settled in her stomach. She released him, causing his chair to loudly slam on the floor. The class continued laughing at him as Ochako returned to her seat. She glanced at Izuku, noticing that he wasn't laughing like the others. Immediately students began crowding her desk, jumping at the chance to get someone with her quirk into their friend groups.

"You have to be my friend!"

"Screw that! We got to her first!"

"We saw you hanging around Deku this morning! Ditch that loser and come hang out with us!"

Izuku stared sadly at his friend as the students swarmed her, desperately begging her to be their friend. She had everything they were looking for. She was cute, had an awesome quirk, and was confident about it. Izuku's gaze shifted to the hardwood of his desk.

He didn't deserve her friendship.

"What's wrong with Midoriya? So what if he's quirkless? He's a good person!" Izuku's head snapped to the desk next to him, his eyes wide. A silence gripped the classroom. No one had ever said that before. They had never openly defended Izuku. Katsuki angrily got up from his desk. Seeing the impending disaster, the teacher interrupted them.

"All right everyone, sit down! Get away from Uraraka's desk! You're crowding the poor girl!" The students slowly made their way back to their seats, still stunned that someone had just openly defended Izuku and wasn't immediately blown up. Ochako was flustered and upset, not only did these students casually belittle Izuku, they instantly flocked to anyone that had a remotely flashy quirk. She knew that her quirk was incredibly useful both in the practical sense and in battle. But that's not what defined someone as a person. Back at her old school, people weren't just popular because of their quirk. There was obvious favoritism toward flashy quirks here. She didn't like it one bit.

The rest of the morning passed uneventfully. Ochako could feel her eyes drooping, it was becoming much more difficult to stay focused. The simple task of keeping her head up was increasingly difficult as class went on. Maybe staying up all night on her first day of school _wasn't_ the best idea. She could tell that Izuku was suffering from the same exhaustion as her, if the constant cycle of him drooping his head only to jerk himself awake was anything to go by. She could see the dark circles forming under his eyes.

Guilt gnawed at the back of Ochako's head as she realized that Izuku had only stayed up because of her. If she hadn't been stubborn and stayed awake, then at least one of them would be able to go five minutes without dozing off.

"All right everyone. Time for lunch, be back here in one hour." Their teacher interrupted her thoughts. The students quickly left the classroom, eager to finally eat after their first few hours of classes. Ochako gathered her things, noticing that Izuku hadn't moved from his seat. She shook his shoulder, breaking him out of whatever mutter spree he had lost himself in again.

"Hey, Midoriya. It's lunchtime." Ochako giggled as Izuku jumped at the sudden voice next to him. He glanced up at her, and she saw an odd look on his face.

"Y-yeah. Okay. I have a spot I like to eat that's away from the others." Izuku gathered his things and led his friend out of the classroom. He turned toward the stairs leading to the roof of the school, Ochako followed closely.

The entire journey to the roof was silent. It unnerved Ochako. Izuku usually wasn't this quiet. He always wanted to talk about something, usually heroes and quirks. This felt like a tense silence. Like Izuku had something important to say and it left a stagnant tension between them. They walked onto the roof of the school together, finding a single chair from a classroom sitting in the center. Izuku really did eat up here alone.

"You can sit on the chair, I'll just sit." Ochako opened her mouth to protest, but Izuku had already sat down and had his lunch out. She sat on the chair and pulled out her lunch as well. The pair ate in silence, a cool breeze gently blowing their hair. She had to admit, this was certainly better then eating in some stuffy cafeteria. Ochako found herself drinking in the view of Musutafu as she quietly ate. She imagined that it would be a nice way to spend her lunch every day. The tense air between them hadn't lifted, and it was starting to really get to her.

Izuku on the other hand, was completely preoccupied with his thoughts. What happened that morning kept playing in his head. All of the other students in class just begging to be Ochako's friend. Izuku knew that if Ochako continued to stay his friend at school then she would dash any hopes of having any other friends. He decided that he didn't want to ruin that for his best friend. No matter how much it hurt him, her happiness mattered more.

But how do you go about telling someone that you don't want to be their friend. Izuku couldn't believe that he was thinking about rejecting the first friend that he had in years. But he couldn't bear to see Ochako suffering the same way he had. He wouldn't wish that upon anyone else. He felt someone grip his shoulder.

"All right Midoriya. Spill it. What's wrong?" Izuku looked up to find brown eyes staring into his soul.

"N-nothing's wrong! W-Why would y-you ask?" Izuku stuttered.

"You've been silent and avoiding me since class started this morning. Y-you're my best friend Midoriya, I-I want to help." Izuku stared off toward the tall buildings of Musutafu for a moment before speaking.

"W-We can't be friends Uraraka!" Izuku exclaimed, not daring to look at her reaction.

Ochako's breathed hitched in her throat. Dread overwhelmed her, making her feel queasy.

He didn't want to be around her anymore?

What had she done wrong? Should she have defended Izuku earlier? Was she a terrible friend? She had tried her hardest to make Izuku overcome some of his social anxiety. Was that too far? Did she push a boundary?

Ochako let out a choked sob as tears began rushing down her face. She felt like she had been stabbed in the heard. The one person who had taken her off the streets, the first person to care about her in weeks, was rejecting her. Izuku whirled around, eyes wide. Ochako tried to hide her face, rubbing her eyes with the sleeve of her black shirt.

"O-oh, I'm s-so sorry Uraraka! That came out wrong! I didn't mean it like that!" Izuku scrambled, trying to salvage the situation. He hadn't meant to say it like that. He wanted to word it in a way that so Ochako wouldn't feel like it was her fault. Obviously, he failed miserably as the crying girl in front of him signified. Izuku was rooted in place for a moment, Ochako's cries echoing in his mind.

'What have I done?'

Ochako wanted to run. To just get away from everything and never come back. She thought that she was actually building a connection with the green haired boy. She wanted nothing more then to help Izuku out of his depression. But she had crossed a line, and Izuku wanted nothing to do with her anymore. As Ochako turned to run, she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her middle.

"I'm so sorry Uraraka! I-I didn't mean it like that!" Izuku couldn't stop the tears from falling from his eyes. He rested his head on her shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm just not used to talking to people yet and I don't really know how to word things the right way and… and…" Izuku let out a huff. "It's just that… everyone in class loved you Uraraka…". Izuku trailed his hand up and down her back. He had no idea what he was doing. His body was acting on its own. Izuku wanted to make this right. He couldn't stand to know that he had made his best friend cry. "I want you to be happy. You won't make any other friends if you're around me so…" Izuku finished, nuzzling his head into Ochako's neck, inhaling her scent. He found it oddly comforting.

Ochako suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around her green haired friend. He was willing to give up his only friendship so she could have more friends? Ochako smiled at her friend's selflessness, and obliviousness. The hurtful and dark thoughts in her head instantly dissipated. She felt warm inside, Izuku was thinking of _her_, not himself. "You _idiot_. You _scared_ me." Izuku stiffened at her harsh words. He attempted to step out of their embrace, Ochako only held him tighter. "I don't care about any of them. If they find joy in bullying someone because they're quirkless. Then I don't want anything to do with them." She took Izuku's head in her hands, framing each side of his boyish face with her palms. She brushed some tears off his cheek with her thumb. "You're my best friend Midoriya, I wouldn't be here without you. I'm not just gonna leave you for some assholes in our class." Izuku chuckled at Ochako's vulgar language. She didn't swear much, but she got her point across when she did.

Izuku pulled the brunette in for another tight hug, attempting to show her how much he appreciated what she said with his actions. He was sure that if he tried to say anything, it would come out as unintelligible stuttering and crying. Ochako smiled and hugged him back, feeling comfortable with the closeness she was sharing with her friend. Enjoying the warmth that seeped into her when Izuku was pressed against her.

Eventually they separated, their nerves finally returning. Raging blushes decorated both teens faces as they quickly gathered their things and walked back to class together, this time chatting happily with each other the entire way back.

* * *

Classes were almost over for the day. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, basking the room in a light glow. The rest of the day had gone smoothly, everyone seemed to be distracted from Izuku and were more focused on Ochako for the day. A reprieve from the constant teasing was a welcome change for the boy. Sadly, Ochako ended up with a lot of unwanted attention all day. She had to politely tell a few people she wasn't interested in being their friend. She even had to turn down a few date proposals. Apparently, a show of strength is attractive to a lot of people. Izuku would be lying if he said that watching Ochako make a fool out of that boy wasn't… entertaining. Yeah that's the right word. He wasn't in Bakugo's friend group or anything, but he still relentlessly teased Izuku. For some reason, the only thing that really got to Izuku was the date proposals. They shouldn't have bothered him, but he found himself growing angry at the boys who had the balls to ask his friend out without even knowing her yet. Ochako always just calmly denied everyone saying that she wasn't interested.

Their teacher had given them an English assignment to work on until the end of class. Izuku had already finished and helped Ochako finish hers as well. A few other students were finished as well and were talking amongst themselves. He looked toward Katsuki, who was leaning back in his chair with his legs rested on his desk. He hadn't said a word to anyone the entire day. It was sort of unnerving to see the typically loud teen suddenly silent and keeping to himself. One of his groupies tried to get his attention.

"Yo Bakugo, I saw you on the news yesterday! You handled that villain like a champ!" His friend with the extendable fingers quirk boasted. Bakugo merely gave a grunt in response, never opening his eyes. A girl from the other side of the class piped up.

"Actually, I saw Deku on the news too! He ran right at the villain like a mindless idiot!" The class shifted their attention to the green haired boy. He sank lower in his desk as the class laughed at him. Ochako clenched her fists, she couldn't take it anymore. Listening to her classmates making comments about Izuku all day was grating on her nerves. Before she could think, she jumped up and shouted over the laughter of the class.

"That's not true!" Ochako glared at her classmates, who were looking at her with a shocked expression. "Midoriya saved Bakugo! He risked his life while everyone else just watched!" Ochako shouted. Their teacher leaned back in his chair in rubbed his face in annoyance. Not wanting to deal with his rowdy students anymore. Bakugo suddenly stood up and spun to face the brunette.

"Listen Round Face-"

"_Round Face_?" Ochako interrupted angrily.

"Deku didn't save shit! He only got in the way! All Might was the one who saved us! Not shitty Deku!" Katsuki jumped out of his chair, slamming his hand on the left of Izuku's desk, causing little explosions to burn the outside of it. Izuku's desk was easily recognizable from the rest in the class. As it had multiple scorch marks and chips from Bakugo's repeated assaults. No one bothered to fix or change his desk. Ochako angrily stomped forward, standing on the opposite side of Izuku's desk, baring her teeth at the blonde.

"I'm so sick of how you people treat Midoriya! He doesn't deserve this! I've only been here for one day and I'm so tired of it!" Izuku slowly backed his chair away from what was about to be ground zero. He had never seen this side of Ochako, she looked determined, passionate, and incredibly pissed off.

"Deku doesn't deserve a fucking bit of gratitude! He didn't save anyone! He's just a useless piece of trash! A fucking waste of space! The world would be better off if he just killed him-"

*_Slap_*

Bakugo was interrupted by a hard slap to the face. The entire classroom, including Izuku, fell into a stunned silence. Ochako was fuming, her fists were balled tightly, she was shaking. She felt raw hatred for the blonde boy. First, she was angry at him for being completely ungrateful that Izuku saved his life. But when he mentioned suicide, Ochako lost it. Katsuki was a part of the reason why Izuku jumped off that building. Unlike All Might, he didn't care about what effect his words had on the boy.

She hated him for it.

Katsuki angrily flailed about in the air, his gravity completely taken away. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to get a solid grip of his bearings. He screamed in frustration, glaring at the girl that did this to him.

"You bitch! Let me down now! I'll fucking kill you!" Katsuki loosed some explosions, trying to close the distance between himself and the brunette. He only succeeded in spinning himself forward, slamming his head on Izuku's desk. Izuku couldn't move from his chair, completely mesmerized by Ochako's display. While Katsuki was recovering from his momentarily stunned state, Ochako grabbed him by the hem of his shirt and brought him to eye level.

"Don't you _ever_ lay a finger on Izuku again." Her glare swept the room. "_Any_ of you. Or you're going to regret it." With that Ochako pushed him backward and released him. Katsuki landed on his feet and stumbled backward, leaning on the desk behind him for support. The blond held his head in pain, a bright red mark already appearing on his cheek. He blinked to clear the spots from his vision.

Izuku stared at his friend as she quickly stomped out of the room. Like most of the class, his mouth was agape in amazement and surprise. Ochako had just knocked the number one student down from his pedestal. No one thought they would ever see the day that Katsuki got what he deserved. The door slammed shut, breaking Izuku out of his stunned silence. He quickly sprinted out of his chair and ran after his friend.

* * *

Ochako didn't know how long she was running. The world blurred around her as she sprinted out of the school as fast as she could. Tears stung her eyes as she picked up speed and sprinted down the sidewalk, feeling a familiar burst of energy empower her legs. Her heart thrummed in her ears. She couldn't believe she did that. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

She just _assaulted_ another student.

On her first day.

She was going to be expelled for sure.

She had no idea what came over her. After Katsuki told Izuku to kill himself, she just lost it. The image of Izuku freefalling toward the cold concrete played in her head on loop. How close he actually came to taking his own life horrified her. She flew into a rage and in that moment, she acted without thinking. Causing Bakugo to slam his head on Izuku's desk. It felt oddly satisfying to see a person like that get put in their place.

That's what _terrified_ her.

It felt _good _to give Bakugo what he deserved. To tell him off, to see him powerless and defenseless. What kind of hero felt satisfaction in causing pain in their enemies? Was this normal? She was so confused. She came across a busy street; a park was on the other side.

Ochako activated her quirk on herself, using her momentum and zero gravity to jump over the road and into the park. She easily cleared the road, to the wonder of people on the sidewalk, and sailed over the trees and into the park. She might have underestimated her momentum slightly; she quickly shifted her gravity mid-air to slow herself down and land safely. Not an easy task, as she wasn't proficient at using her quirk on herself like this. She had practiced using her quirk on herself, but she always got a queasy feeling and nearly threw up every time she did. Once she was safely on the ground, she released herself and rested her hands on her knees, catching her breath. She felt like she was going to throw up, and her legs felt like they had turned to jelly.

Eventually her queasiness receded, she caught her breath, calming down from her adrenaline rush. Ochako looked at her surroundings. The trees, beginning to bloom again, were swaying in a cool breeze. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as the sun lazily made its way across the endless blue expanse.

She spotted a few benches nearby on a path that snaked its way through the park's clearing. The young girl quickly made her way to them and sat on the weathered wood. Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, trying to calm her nerves. The world around her was so peaceful, so quiet. A stark contrast to the turmoil in Ochako's head. She rested her head in he hands, losing herself in her thoughts once again.

* * *

Izuku's heart sank at the sound of Ochako's answering machine greeting him yet again. He had been wandering aimlessly thorough town, calling and texting her constantly. He looked down at his phone again.

**Outgoing Calls: Ochako Uraraka – 7 Unanswered**

Izuku sighed, his worry getting the best of him. He couldn't get the image of Ochako's hateful glare out of his head. It was something he had never expected to see from her. She was always so positive and happy around him. He had only seen her happy and positive demeanor fail a couple of times. The way she stormed out of the room worried him, he hoped that she was okay. He swiped across his phone, finding their messaging app, hoping to have any kind of response from her.

** Izuku: Where are you?**

** Izuku: Uraraka?**

** Izuku: Hello?**

** Izuku: Please answer. I'm worried**

** Izuku: Are you okay?**

** Izuku: I'm looking for you**

** Izuku: Please say something!**

Izuku briskly walked down the crowded sidewalk, desperately looking for her familiar chestnut hair. It was like she disappeared. He had followed her almost immediately after she stormed out of the classroom, but she was nowhere to be found. Some students in the hallway claim they had seen a blur blow by them a minute ago. But Izuku didn't have any more information then that.

Surprisingly, Izuku wasn't worried about Katsuki at all. Typically, he would always be worried about the ill-tempered blonde's mood at all times. It was the deciding factor on whether or not he would be going home with bruises or not. Some days, Katsuki would take it easy on him. Others, like when he did bad on a test, or just woke up on the wrong side of bed, Izuku paid for it. But now, his worry for his friend heavily outweighed any thoughts of retaliation from his bully.

His phone finally buzzed, surprising him. Izuku stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, opening his messaging app in record time.

**Ochako: The park**

Relief washed over Izuku like a wave. She was okay. Wait… park? What park? The only parks he knew of weren't very close to Aldera. The closest one was at least a forty-five-minute walk away. There was no way she ran all the way there! He quickly texted her back.

**Izuku: I'll be right there.**

She didn't respond. Izuku quickly changed direction and walked to the park she was presumably at. He didn't have fond memories of the place. It was a large park near the center of town. It was a very popular place for just about any occasion. Firework shows were held there, music festivals were also a popular attraction, people often picnicked there too. It was also an incredibly popular spot for children to play. With the perfect balance of wooded areas and clearings. He remembered playing there with Katsuki and his friends. They would take turns adventuring into the woods, beating away imaginary villains and saving the day.

It was also where a majority of Katsuki's bullying took place in their younger years. Memories of being pushed into thorn bushes, left bruised and crying in the dirt, suddenly all alone in the middle of one of their adventures. Izuku hadn't returned there in a long time. Too many painful memories kept him from ever returning.

But this was important.

He had to find Ochako, he had to make sure she was okay. The thought of her crying all alone hurt him, he quickened his pace. Weaving through the groups of people casually going about their day in the busy city.

After some time, Izuku made it to the park, finding her sitting alone on one of the benches with her head down. Her black school uniform making her stand out. He grew worried at her downcast posture. He quietly approached her; she didn't seem to acknowledge the world around her.

"H-hey, Uraraka?" Izuku hesitated. Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his for a moment. Izuku was overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions behind them. She quickly averted her eyes, turning to look at the orange sky instead. By the time Izuku arrived, the sun was ending its journey across the sky, casting warm glows across the landscape around them. Izuku quietly sat next to her, the wood bench quietly creaked, protesting the added weight.

They stayed silent for a while, Izuku's presence calmed Ochako's overactive mind. She felt some of her worst thoughts and feelings begin to alleviate as her friend simply sat next to her. He didn't need to say or do anything, just the fact that he was there helped her immensely. He could have just waited for her at home, she surely would have returned eventually. But he deliberately sought her out because he knew she wasn't okay. His thoughtfulness made her feel slightly warm inside.

"Am… am I a bad person?" Ochako broke the silence. Izuku's eyes widened. He did a double take, completely taken aback that his friend would think so lowly of herself.

"Wha- How could you think that about yourself? You're the nicest person I know!" Ochako met her friend's emerald eyes.

"Because I… I…" Ochako stumbled over her words. It was much more difficult then she imagined to voice her thoughts. Izuku placed a hand over hers, resting on the bench space between them. There was no bashfulness or nervousness in his eyes. Only concern and determination. Ochako found the strength to speak again.

"I felt…_good_. Putting him in his place like that. Is… is that bad? I shouldn't feel like that right? Am I a bad person? Am I… am I a…" Villain? She couldn't bring herself to finish. Not that she needed to. Izuku could assume what she meant. He stared at her for a few moments, as if he was trying to find the right words. He didn't want a repeat of earlier.

"No. Of course you're not a bad person! You stepped in and defended me! You're the only one who has ever stood up for me like that." Izuku felt tears brimming his eyes. This was turning out to be a very emotional day. His voice quieted considerably. "You've already done so much for me Uraraka. No matter what anyone else thinks of you… you're already my hero." Izuku looked into her eyes, giving her a small smile.

Ochako sniffled, feeling deeply touched by Izuku's words. "Thanks… that really means a lot." She felt relieved. Izuku still saw her as a good person. Despite her insecurities, she trusted his judgement.

They sat in a comfortable silence together, enjoying the cool air. Spring was coming around again, flowers were beginning to bloom. A pleasant scent carried in the wind. The two teens enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Ochako's eyes darkened as she looked toward her friend. He was busy admiring a pair of squirrels busy chasing each other endlessly through newly growing grass. She felt so bad for him. For his entire childhood, he had to deal with constant bullying. It was no wonder he was uncomfortable with even talking to her. The fact that his hand was still resting atop hers, seemingly forgotten about, was a sign that he was coming out of his shell; at least with her. She couldn't stop thinking about the constant insults her classmates threw at Izuku.

"Hey… Midoriya?" Ochako grabbed the green haired boy's attention. He shifted his gaze toward her. His green eyes reflecting the setting sun's brilliant orange hue.

"Yeah? What's up?"

"Are… are you okay?" Huh? Was he okay? He was about to be personally trained by his idol, promised a quirk that had been publicly seen as the strongest on the planet, and he had a friend who truly cared about him. He felt like his life was going pretty well.

"What do you mean?" Izuku quirked an eyebrow.

"You were bullied for most of your life… I… I can't imagine how that feels." Ochako finished. Realization dawned in Izuku's eyes. He looked away; memories resurfaced that he wished were forever suppressed. He had never really talked to anyone about his bullying. His mother knew that it was taking place, supporting him as much as she could. But he didn't want to burden her with his problems. She didn't need to know the extent of the harassment. She didn't need to see the bruises, cuts, and scars. He looked back toward Ochako, her eyes shined. He knew she wanted to be there for him. She wanted him to share his burden with her. He had read articles on the internet talking about how sharing your troubles with someone could help ease your mind. Like sharing a heavy load with someone made it easier for you to carry.

Izuku had done some research about his bullying problem. He wondered if there was any way to ease the pain. Some people said that standing up to your bully was the most effective way to stop it. That most bullies only picked on you because you didn't fight back, and as soon as you did, they would leave you alone.

That didn't work with Katsuki.

He had tried to stand up to him before. Now, the burn scar on his chest constantly reminded him how wrong that advice had been. Every case of abuse was situational, it was always a bit different. He should have known that standing up to Katsuki wouldn't work. He was too proud of himself to let someone he looked down upon talk to him like that. Katsuki was a real asshole, but he was no coward.

Izuku had read elsewhere that many bullies had troubles at home, causing them to abuse the people around him. That wasn't the case for Katsuki either. While he hadn't seen the blonde's family for a while, he knew what they were like. His mother was just as hot headed as her son, if not more. They would yell and scream at each other, but she was a caring woman who would never abuse her son.

Izuku supposed that he could share his story with Ochako. After all, she had trusted him enough to tell him about her parents. He was confident that she wouldn't make fun of his troubles as a child.

"Well… that's a really long story…" Izuku started. He wanted to tell her. But he didn't know how to put it into the right words. How do you talk about something that has tormented you for your whole life? Ochako turned her hand over and wrapped her fingers around his. Izuku's face turned red, finally realizing the contact he was sharing with her. He tried to pull his hand back, but Ochako only tightened her grip, she wasn't going to let him seclude himself anymore.

"I want to hear it. All of it." Izuku relaxed for a bit, realizing that Ochako was comfortable with their joined hands. He sighed, recounting all of his biggest childhood memories.

"Well, it started when I went to my quirk examination when I was four." Izuku told her everything. Starting from the hopelessness he felt when he realized he would never have a quirk. He told her of the happiness and joy that came from being Katsuki's friend when they were children. He told her about all of the times Katsuki would push him away after learning he was quirkless. He recounted the more painful memories of the abuse he suffered from the blonde. As hard as it was for him to describe and revisit. Ochako just silently listened, nodding and letting out gasps of disapproval during certain points. She squeezed his hand any time he choked up remembering the more painful moments in his life, letting him know that he wasn't alone.

When Izuku was finished, there were no tears on his face. He had stuttered and choked up during certain points, finding it difficult to relive those moments. But in the end, he felt relieved. Like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders that he never knew existed.

Ochako knew that Izuku had been through some dark times the moment she saw him jump off that roof. You don't just do something like that for no reason. There had to be a story behind the act. Some reason that Izuku felt that suicide was the only way out. She wanted to help heal him, and knowing the truth was a key to that. After hearing his story and knowing what occurred between him and All Might that day, she finally understood.

Izuku's childhood was hell.

All he wanted in life was to become a hero. To be a hero that saves everyone just like All Might. But his dream had been ruthlessly ripped away from him. He had no one. His mother did what she could, but it wasn't enough. His friends had all abandoned him, choosing to only deepen the wound on Izuku's mental state by constantly cutting him down and telling him that he _couldn't_ do it. That he would always be a quirkless nobody and there was nothing he could do to change that.

But despite all of that, Izuku stayed determined. Even though his mother was the only one to support him, Izuku always told himself that they were all wrong, that he could make his dream come true. That one day, he would be a hero just like All Might.

Ochako admired Izuku's unwavering determination. Once he set his mind to something, he was determined to see it through. She could see that with his hero notebooks. Izuku wasn't only interested in heroes, he studied them. He had built up a tactical mind that could see flaws in someone's technique, quirk, gear, or anything else you could think of. Making him smarter and more tactically knowledgeable then his peers. They called him a nerd and looked down on him because of it. But in reality, Izuku was getting a step up on everyone else. Ochako hoped her determination could measure up to that.

Ochako still had a question lingering in her mind after Izuku's long and heartfelt life story. "One thing…" Izuku have a questioning hum. "What does your nickname mean? Deku?" Izuku visibly cringed at the nickname. Harsh memories cropping up in its wake. Noticing this, Ochako's eyes widened, she never meant to offend him! "Oh! I-I-I'm sorry Midoriya, please just forget I said anything!" Ochako apologized.

"N-No it's okay, really." Izuku started. The awful nickname didn't sound right coming from her lips. "It's just a nickname that Kacchan gave me after he learned I was quirkless. It means worthless or useless. Kacchan thought it fit me." Izuku finished, unsure what to feel.

Ochako thought for a moment. The name didn't really sound bad to her. In all honesty, she thought it sounded kind of cute. It also reminded her of something completely different then how Izuku thought of it.

'What's the best way to stop a bully? Take away his weapon.'

"You know… Deku kind of reminds me of Dekiru! Has kind of a 'You can do it!' feeling to it! Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute!" Ochako blushed at her own statement. She had _not _meant to utter that last phrase aloud. Izuku's eyes widened.

"You… you mean that? You think it sounds cool?" Izuku felt happiness well inside of him. He had never thought of his nickname like that. For so long it had been associated with Katsuki's piercing glare and harsh words. Izuku never thought it couldn't be anything more then an insult to him.

Ochako nodded, her hair flipping slightly in front of her face. "Yep! I think it would be a great hero name!" Izuku smiled, his nickname suddenly finding new meaning.

"Yeah… Deku…" He tested the name. It rolled off his tongue more easily then he ever thought it could. After years of torment that the name caused, he thought that he could never accept it. That it would always be a source of pain for him.

"Umm. Is it okay if I call you that? Deku?" Ochako asked carefully. She knew how much that name meant to him. If it made him uncomfortable, then she didn't want to become a source of pain for him. He smiled brightly back at her.

"Yeah! That sounds great! You can call me Deku!" Izuku beamed at his friend. Her face brightened. Another odd silence followed. Similar to the one they shared earlier that morning in Izuku's room. The world seemed to fall away around them. Izuku admired Ochako. From her chestnut brown hair, to her flushed cheeks, to her beautiful brown eyes. Not only did he admire her physical traits, but more importantly, he admired who she was as a person. He felt something odd stirring in his chest. It was a foreign feeling that made him feel fuzzy and light. His head felt light and airy. He unconsciously raised his hand to her face, brushing a few stray brown locks behind her ear. Ochako unconsciously leaned her head into the welcoming touch,

"**A MESSAGE IS HERE!" **

The moment was shattered again.

The two teens jumped away from each other, faces red and hearts racing. Izuku clutched a hand to his chest, attempting to calm his rapidly beating heart. Ochako's face darted away from him, she buried her face in her hands. Trying to hide from the embarrassing situation she had been thrust into. Izuku shot his hand into his pocket, fumbling with his phone.

**Mom: Izuku honey? Are you okay? You're usually home by now.**

Izuku glanced at the time.

**-**7:18 PM**-**

"Oh no! Its late! Mom must be so worried! We have to get home!" Izuku now noticed that the sky was turning to a dark bluish hue with the last bits of sunset streaking across the night. Had they really been there that long? Ochako nodded, her brain still attempting to reboot itself.

"Y-Yeah. Let's go… Deku"

* * *

"God damn it!" Katsuki blasted the front door to his home aside. Storming into his house. A woman with similar spiky blonde hair and red eyes rounded on the boy.

"What the hell Katsuki! What have I told you about that damn door!" His mother, Mitsuki Bakugo screamed at her ill-tempered son. The number of doors they had to replace in their home was astronomical thanks to Katsuki's particularly destructive quirk and temper. He had gotten better over the years, typically able to control himself to the point where he didn't absolutely destroy everything around him in a rage.

"Shut up! The door's fine!" Katsuki snapped back at his mother. The teen stomped into his room, slamming the door behind him.

"Hey! Don't ignore me you little shit!" Katsuki growled in frustration and flopped onto his bed. His mothers furious yelling quickly dying down. Katsuki lied on his back, staring at the white ceiling above him. His hand trailed on his cheek; a faint red mark still stung there. He clenched his fist.

'That bitch. How dare she talk to _me_ like that!' His head was clouded with frustration and anger. She made a fool out of him. She made him look foolish in front of all of his classmates. The people who had feared and respected him saw him get owned by some scrawny girl with a fancy quirk.

He hated it. Hated her.

The voices of his classmates still echoed in his head.

"I've never seen Bakugo get taken down so easily."

"Maybe he's not so tough."

"He always acts like he's so much better than us."

"What a loser."

Katsuki clenched his fist in front of his face, causing sparks and crackles to escape his tightened knuckles. He didn't care about what any of them thought. They were just a bunch of extras, only good for getting in his way. They weren't worth anything to him. Their opinions meant nothing.

Right?

So why did it piss him off so much to get embarrassed in front of everyone like that? Sure, anyone would be pissed if they were just lifted off the ground and tossed around like a ragdoll in front of everyone who respected them. But Katsuki felt a deep anger and hatred for the one who did this to him.

This wasn't just an angry mood swing, or just letting off some steam. He felt a cold anger, in a way he had never felt before. No one had ever disrespected him like that. Looked down on him and treated him like dirt. He didn't deserve it. He was better than everyone else and everybody knew it. It was the way it always was. No one was better than him!

Is that why he felt so pissed off?

To be suddenly knocked off your throne and thrown in with the peasants. To go from the top of the chain to the bottom all at once. With Ochako's actions today, Katsuki's reputation among the other students was surely ruined. They would look down on him and see him as less then he really was.

Was this how Deku felt?

Katsuki let out an angry growl at the fact that he was comparing himself to Deku of all people. The quirkless reject. The outcast from literally every group in the school. Not even the nerds wanted him. Deku was truly alone for most of his childhood.

Until the gravity bitch came along.

She wasn't the first to say something about his treatment of Izuku. But she was the first to actually do something about it. The other students saw what he did to anyone who got in his way. No one else wanted to be on the receiving end of Katsuki's quirk. So, they just let Izuku take all of the hits for them. They let the quirkless boy be Katsuki's personal punching bag. The teachers knew what was happening, but they never stepped in to stop anything. Katsuki showed incredible potential since he was a boy. Having a flashy and strong quirk like his was perfect hero material. Along with his unbreakable determination to become the top hero of all time. Katsuki's future was nearly set in stone already, the road seemingly paved for him. If the teachers reported that Katsuki had been mistreating students, it could ruin his chances at getting into U.A. They decided that it wasn't worth ruining Katsuki's potential hero career over someone like Deku.

Then Round Face came along and flipped everything on its head.

"You'll pay for this. I promise you."

* * *

A/N: So there you have it! I hope everyone is still interested in this. Get ready for a workout montage along with some kickass Rocky music in the next one. Just kidding but you get the idea. Anyway, please review if you can! It's the most valuable thing you can do for me! I really want to know what I'm doing good and what I can improve upon.

I spent the last week staying up until four in the morning every day studying for tests and writing this. I hope you enjoyed, I'm going to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Cleanup_

Izuku let out a long yawn, stretching his arms above his head. He breathed in the cool salty air, tinged with a hint of something sour. It was early, so early in fact that the sun hadn't even creeped above the horizon yet. A much more feminine yawn sounded next to him. Izuku cracked open his eyes, his vision flooded with the sight of All Might's buff form smiling confidently upon them. He was wearing a casual white shirt and shorts.

"**WAKE UP SLEPPYHEADS! YOUR TRAINING STARTS NOW!"** All Might's booming voice helped to chase away the fogginess in Izuku's brain. He shook his head, grasping consciousness a bit tighter. Both teens had been woken up at four in the morning by their newly set alarms. After sluggishly changing into workout clothes, they stumbled into All Might's truck. Izuku was sure he had fallen back to sleep during the ride, because in an instant, they were stopping next to mountains of trash at Dagobah Municipal Beach.

"**YOUR FIRST WORKOUT IS A THREE KILOMETER RUN! GOTTA GET THAT BLOOD PUMPING! SO LETS GOOOO!"** All Might started a run, pushing his students forward. Both teens stumbled into a run, following the hero. The cool morning air stung their faces.

Izuku quickly woke up as he ran alongside Ochako. His legs seemed to move on their own as they continued running. They ran together for a long while, Izuku lost track of how much time had passed. His breathing became more labored as his stamina quickly began to drain. A sheen of sweat gleamed off the boy's skin. He felt like collapsing onto the concrete beneath him. His body begging for a reprieve from the sudden activity. Ochako seemed to be faring a bit better, but not much. She was sweating profusely and seemed out of breath as well. All Might didn't seem the least bit winded as he continued smiling confidently at them.

"**KEEP IT UP YOU TWO! YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR STAMINA IF YOU EVER WANT TO BECOME HEROES!"** All Might called after his students. Izuku clenched his teeth and pushed harder, All Might's words instilling new vigor into him. The exhaustion in his legs disappeared, replaced by adrenaline. He pulled closer to his hero, who quickened his pace slightly. Ochako felt energy return to her after seeing Izuku sprint ahead of her. Seeing the boy so motivated inspired her to push past her limits as well.

When All Might finally stopped, Izuku and Ochako promptly collapsed into the sand of the beach. They had looped back around to where they started. Izuku held himself up on his hands and knees, sweat dripping from his forehead onto the dry sand. All Might smiled and handed two bottles of water to them.

"**YOU BOTH DID WELL. TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO REST."** Izuku downed most of the bottle in one go, Ochako following suit. After they finished catching their breath, All Might held a trash bag out for them. Both teens looked at him for a moment before throwing both empty water bottles into it.

"**THIS IS THE START OF YOUR TRAINING YOUNG MIDORIYA AND URARAKA."** All Might gestured toward the large trash piles, the morning sun beginning to glint off scraps of metal and plastic. **"THIS IS DAGOBAH MUNICIPAL BEACH. IT WAS ONCE A VERY BEAUTIFUL PLACE. BUT THE OCEAN CURRENTS BRING ANY TRASH FROM THE COAST HERE. THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORTS TO KEEP THE BEACH CLEAN, BUT THE TRASH SOON OVERWHELMED THEM. EVER SINCE THEN, PEOPLE HAVE USED IT AS A GARBAGE DUMP."** All Might shook his head disapprovingly. **"BUT!"** He held a finger up. **"IT IS NOT WITHOUT HOPE! NOT WHEN HEROES LIKE US CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! YOU WILL SPEND THE NEXT SEVEN MONTHS CLEANING THE BEACH AND RESTORING IT TO IT'S FORMER GLORY!"** He finished. Izuku and Ochako stared at the blonde hero for a moment.

"Well… that makes sense. A lot of the trash here is heavy appliances and machinery. Which would be great for strength and weight training. Not to mention Uraraka's quirk could be of incredible use here. She could test her limit on the number of things she can float at once. Plus cleaning up all of this trash is great community service. It makes sense why All-"

"Are you sure we can do this All Might?" Ochako and All Might ignored Izuku's mutterstorm next to them. The number one hero nodded.

"**OF COURSE, YOUNG URARAKA! BOTH OF YOU ARE FULLY CAPABLE OF SUCH A LARGE TASK!"** All Might praised them. Ochako smiled, shaking Izuku's shoulder hoping to break him out of his muttering.

"Huh? Oh! Sorry…" Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Ochako giggled at his antics. The green haired boy looked around at the mountains of trash that surrounded him. "Well, uhh… where should we start?"

* * *

-Month 2-

Izuku screamed with one final effort, collapsing onto the warm sand. The straps on his shoulders slackened. He sighed in defeat; the large fridge still refused to budge. Ochako had been taking care of the much larger furniture and appliances, practicing her quirk and increasing her weight limit. Izuku really admired her determination and drive. On more then one occasion, Ochako had been on the verge of passing out or vomiting, but every time, she steeled herself and pressed on, pushing the trash the rest of the distance. Her improvement had been staggering. At the start, she struggled to lift a couple fridges and washing machines at once, now she could lift multiple large pieces of trash at once without feeling nauseous.

Not only was her quirk improving, but her body was becoming much stronger as well, not to mention her academics were improving dramatically. They had been studying together nearly every day after cleaning up the beach. She put just as much effort into school as she did when training her quirk. She had accomplished so much in just one month of training.

Unlike him.

Even after a month of physical training, Izuku still couldn't lift the heavy appliances on his own. While his stamina was greatly improved, he could run their morning distance without collapsing with exhaustion anymore; he felt like his physical strength hadn't improved much. Sure, he had noticed more muscle definition. His chest, abs, and arms were physically larger now. But in comparison to All Might, who could literally lift his truck with one arm, and Ochako, who could lift seemingly any object with her quirk, Izuku felt weak.

Soft sobs wracked his body as hopelessness overwhelmed him. How could he possibly hope to measure up to All Might? The number one hero? The man who saves everyone with a smile? When he was just a scrawny kid with a dream. All Might should choose someone else who is more worthy. Maybe Ochako. She was a far better candidate than him. He heard footsteps approach him.

"**WHAT IS THIS YOUNG MIDORIYA?!"** All Might boomed at the exhausted teen. The boy couldn't bear to look at the man**. "DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN POSSIBLY BE A HERO LIKE THIS?"** More sobs escaped Izuku's body as he cried harder into the sand. This was it. All Might was giving up on him. **"DO YOU THINK THAT A HERO JUST GIVES UP WHEN IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE?"** The blonde scolded him.

Meanwhile, Ochako was finishing up her task of moving the husk of a car that had somehow made its way here. Izuku had been given the job of moving a large fridge that was embedded in the sand to the end of the beach, where she would float it into a large pile off the beach, where All Might would deliver it to wherever it needed to go. It was a huge job for any normal person, naturally Ochako was a bit worried for him. She saw him collapse and moved to help when All Might stepped ahead of her.

Normally, she would have just let All Might deal with it. But after hearing him scold Izuku like that, she couldn't just stand by and not say anything.

"Hey! Wha-" She was interrupted by a fierce look from the hero. He held a hand up to her, telling her to stop. He mouthed the words 'I've got this' to her. Against her better judgement, Ochako stepped back and let All Might talk. The muscled man was suddenly wreathed in smoke, his hero form finally wearing out from use all morning. Toshinori kneeled down to his successor, who was still sobbing into the sand.

"Young Man… Even when you want to give up, when all of the muscles in your body are screaming for rest, you cannot stop. People are always depending on you to save them. Even at the cost of your own body, you must push through and persevere. That's what it means to be a hero. Never giving up. Even when your body is failing you." Izuku looked up, tears still clouding his eyes. Toshinori gestured to the horrific wound on his abdomen. "After I got this. A good friend of mine told me to stop. That the path I was on would lead to my ruin. But I couldn't. Not when innocent people out there needed saving. I couldn't just stand by…" Toshinori had a far away look in his eyes. He snapped his attention back to his green haired student. "Now! You won't get anywhere if you lay here and cry! If you want to be a hero, then you're going to push through this challenge! No matter how much it hurts! No matter how much you want to stop! You'll reach the other end of this beach.!" Toshinori exclaimed loudly. Izuku screamed, pushing himself to his feet. Digging his feet into the sand and gritting his teeth, Izuku pulled with everything he had.

It moved!

If only a little bit, the fridge moved. With newfound confidence, Izuku pulled once again will all of his strength, moving the fridge just a bit further. He screamed as his arms and legs screamed in protest. He swore he could physically feel his muscles tearing. He ignored the discomfort and pain, pushing forward toward the ramp at the other end of the beach. His eyes focused on his destination, everything else around him fell away.

Ochako cheered loudly for her friend, although she doubted he could hear her. She could see how focused he was on moving the incredibly heavy weight behind him without collapsing. Toshinori smiled proudly as Izuku made it off the beach and promptly collapsed onto the soft sand, smiling victoriously.

* * *

-Month 4-

Summer was in full swing. People were enjoying outdoor activities with the cold weather officially gone. Amusement parks were once again open, pools were a popular attraction, and everyone's moods were overall heightened by the warmer weather. Beaches were frequented by people and were often crowded. Parents finally getting off work and heading out for a relaxing day in the sun. Once school released them, children and teens alike enjoyed playing in the water and enjoying themselves.

On this beach however, there were only two. Two teens working tirelessly to clean the mountains of garbage from the once beautiful beach. Izuku and Ochako didn't have any time to waste on having fun this summer. They were hard at work, chasing their dreams to become pro heroes. While the mornings were a much nicer temperature, the cold spring mornings tended to numb their faces while they ran, the day's blistering heat made things a bit more uncomfortable. Unlike everyone else their age, Izuku and Ochako couldn't waste any time enjoying the change in weather.

Even if it was Izuku's birthday.

He was turning fifteen. Not a landmark birthday by any means but it was an important day nevertheless. He didn't seem to think so. Even though All Might told him to take the day off, Izuku refused to give up a day of training. He outright refused anyone when they told him to take breaks. Sometimes, Ochako or Toshinori would see him overworking himself. Either running too hard or lifting too much weight for too long. He would just grit his teeth and push harder, following All Might's advice to push through the pain and discomfort.

They hadn't taken a day of rest since their training started over three months ago. Their routine was generally the same with a few changes here and there. But generally, they would wake up early, start their run, which had steadily increased from three kilometers to five. Then they would clean up specific areas of the beach, some days Ochako would be allowed to use her quirk, other days she was only allowed to use her physical strength. She needed to build up her body as well, she couldn't rely only on her quirk. After that they would head to school for the day, Izuku had taken to using a grip strengthener during class to keep his workout going. After school they would head back to the beach to continue work. Eventually, they would head back to Midoriya's house. Where they would study for school and go to bed early.

They weren't allowed to eat whatever they wanted either. They had very specific dietary needs to keep their bodies up and running. With them constantly shredding their muscles, they needed the right foods to have the energy for repair. Without that, they would be doing more damage to their bodies than improvement. Ochako had gotten in trouble when Toshinori found out that she had bought some mochi for her and Izuku one day. They sat through a long speech about their bodies needs for correct nutrients for fast muscle development and healthy growth. Needless to say, they didn't make that mistake again.

But today was Izuku's chance to have a break from the constant routine they had maintained for the past grueling months. Yet, he still refused, claiming that resting for a day and eating what he wanted would set him back more then he wanted. Ochako had argued with him a bit about it, but his stubbornness won over. So here he was, exhausted and sweating, carrying a stack of tires to a pile at the end of the beach. He had been putting in extra effort today, as if to show everyone that he refused to take anything that resembled a break today. The sun was beginning to set, and a queasy feeling settled in the pit of Ochako's gut.

They would be heading home soon, and she was incredibly nervous. Initially, she thought Izuku would love a surprise party. But after seeing him treat his birthday as if it were nothing, she was beginning to have second thoughts. Was he going to be upset at her? Would he be angry that she helped organize a party for him even though he specifically asked for no special treatment today? She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Izuku approaching her.

"Hey Uraraka! You okay?" Izuku waved a hand in front of her face, grabbing her attention. Ochako blinked, getting an eyeful of Izuku's now very toned abs and chest. Her face flushed as she darted her head away, a familiar warmth blossoming in her chest. She had felt this before, nearly every time Izuku gave her that dazzling smile of his, her legs turned to jelly. Whenever Izuku lost himself in a mutter spree, Ochako couldn't help but admire his boyish face while he wasn't paying attention. She had an idea what these feelings were, but she wouldn't dare give voice to them.

"Y-y-yeah! Uhh… w-why don't we head home Deku? It's about that time and I'm starting to get… hungry! Yeah…" Ochako trailed off awkwardly, attempting to battle away her growing feelings and overall flusteredness, combined with the nervousness of Izuku's surprise party, Ochako was a mess. Izuku's eyes lit up at the thought of food, completely missing Ochako tripping over herself.

"Yeah! Food sounds great! I'm starving!" Izuku stopped for a moment, giving Ochako a knowing glance. She smiled and nodded her head, bending her legs, ready to start a run.

"RACEBACKTOTHEHOUSE!"

Neither of them noticed the man in a dark hoodie, silently watching them race into the distance. The figure moved to follow the pair.

* * *

Ochako reached the front door of Izuku's apartment building a second after her green haired friend. Ochako chuckled to herself, it usually ended up like this. Some days she won, other days he finished first, but it was always close. Izuku had been especially motivated today and had a lead on her the entire way home. Izuku smiled, still completely out of breath.

"Wow! You're getting really fast Uraraka!" Izuku took a few deep breaths, slowing his heart rate. "I really had to push myself!" Ochako smiled at the praise as she followed him into the lobby of the apartment building. They walked silently through the quiet halls of his apartment building, heading into the elevator and taking it to the correct floor. Ochako's worry only grew as she followed her friend through a familiar hallway. Izuku seemed to sense her worry, as he hesitated upon arriving at his door.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Y-yeah! I'm great!" Ochako gave her friend a reassuring smile, hoping he wouldn't see through her. He looked at her for a moment before nodding and slowly opening the door.

It was dark, much darker than it should have been. Shouldn't his mother have been home by now? It was long past her normal work hours, and typically she had dinner already cooking for them by the time they got home. Izuku fumbled along the wall for a moment, looking for a light switch. Feeling the familiar shape in the wall, he flipped it up, bathing the room in light.

"SURPRISE!"

Izuku screamed loudly in surprise, falling onto his back. He held his arms up, ready to defend against an attack.

"Happy birthday Izuku! I can't believe my baby is getting so old!" Inko had tears streaming from her face. Izuku blinked, taking in the situation. Balloons and streamers decorated the apartment. A large banner spanned across one of the walls. It read 'Happy Birthday Izuku!' in a bright colorful font. Toshinori stood next to his mother in his yellow and black pinstripe suit, wearing a sparkling red birthday hat. He was smiling brightly at his successor.

His surprise faded into happiness as Ochako followed him into the apartment, closing the door behind her. He slowly got up his brain tripping over itself in an attempt to comprehend the situation.

They threw a party for _him_?

Izuku couldn't remember the last time multiple people actually made his birthday a celebration. One of the numerous side effects of being quirkless. He had no friends to celebrate anything with. His mother always did what she could to make him feel special and gave him gifts on his birthday. That was always enough for him. He didn't want or need anything extravagant. It had become less important to him than many other people his age. His birthday seemed like just another day now.

Tears stung his eyes as he took everything in. They had set all of this up for him. The cake, the decorations, he could even see a number of gifts tucked into a corner. It was all too much, Izuku fell to his knees, crying his heart out. Ochako rushed to his side.

"Oh, Deku! Are you okay?" Ochako looked over Izuku's sobbing body. Dread filled her gut. This whole surprise party was her idea. Did she do something wrong? Did she make Izuku uncomfortable by throwing a party he never expected or asked for? "I-I'm sorry I didn't ask or anything beforehand! I had no idea you would feel this way. I'm…I'm…" Ochako let out a squeak of surprise, almost being knocked off her feet when Izuku suddenly shot up, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"Thank you so much! No one but mom has ever even thought about my birthday! This means so much. I-I-I… I don't know what to say…" Izuku sniffled as he buried his face into the crook of Ochako's neck. She smiled in relief and wrapped her arms around Izuku's midsection. She rubbed a hand up and down his back, relishing in the comfort his touch brought. Both completely forgetting about the two adults in the room. "… thank you." Izuku whispered. A light click caught their attention. Both teens lifted their heads to find both Toshinori and Inko taking pictures of them. Their faces flushed red and they darted a good distance away from each other.

"I-I'm so sorry Uraraka… I-I d-didn't mean to do that! I… uh…" Izuku was at a loss for words. Ochako just chuckled nervously.

"I-It's ok Deku! I didn't mind it!" She clamped a hand over her mouth. Even more embarrassment flooded over her at the statement.

'I can't believe I just said that!' She quickly turned to the highly amused adults in the room. Desperately trying to find a distraction from her embarrassment.

"Uhh… we should open gifts! Or cake! Or… _anything_ else!" Toshinori and Inko laughed openly, finding their embarrassment incredibly amusing. Ochako sighed in frustration, willing the stubborn redness on her face to disappear. Her racing heart simply refused to calm down.

"Alright, alright. Young Midoriya, come open your gifts!" The blonde hero gestured toward the small pile of gifts. Izuku broke out of his embarrassed muttering. A glint of wonder crossed his eyes at the sight of the wrapped boxes. They made their way to the living room, setting the various gifts near him.

His mother was able to spend much more on her son than she normally could. She was ecstatic when they started receiving checks in the mail from All Might's agency. At first, she wanted to reject the money, saying that they could make it on their own. After some convincing from Toshinori, Inko agreed to receiving the help. Because of the more stable financial status of the family, Inko was able to take more time off work, giving herself long needed rest. Izuku sat on their sofa, with Ochako and Inko sitting on either side of him. Toshinori chose to stand.

He started with his mother's gifts. Which consisted of multiple All Might collectables and posters. Ochako wondered how the woman was able to find merchandise that he didn't already have. Even Toshinori seemed surprised at some of the merchandise Izuku was receiving. It was amusing that even though Izuku knows his idol personally, he still never stopped collecting his merchandise. The image Izuku held in his mind of All Might was still intact.

After thanking his mother profusely and setting aside the new additions to his impressive collection, Izuku turned to Toshinori's gift. It was a large, thin rectangle wrapped in All Might themed paper. It was likely a poster of some sort. Quickly unwrapping and getting a good look at the gift, Izuku's eyes widened.

"This… This is the 10th Anniversary poster! But… but this was never on sale to the public. I… how?.." Izuku started. Then he seemed to remember exactly who gave him the gift. Izuku carefully put the poster down and jumped off the sofa and nearly toppling Toshinori in a fierce hug. The blonde man took a step back, regaining his balance. Ochako chuckled at the sudden show of affection.

"H-Hey! It's nothing really kid! I just figured you didn't have it yet. I thought I would give you something special…" The withered man chuckled, rubbing the teen's green mop of hair. Izuku shook his head, releasing the man.

"No. You've already done so much for us Al-… Toshinori" Izuku nearly slipped up. "You didn't have to give me anything! But thank you so much! This will be the most treasured in my collection!" Toshinori smiled, his heart warming at the kind words. Izuku happily sat back on the sofa next to his mother and best friend.

Inko gave a shaky smile, her eyes threatening to spill tears once more. Her son's show of unfiltered happiness filled her heart with joy. For so long, Izuku gave her a fake smile, pretending that everything was okay. While he went to his room, all alone, to take notes on heroes and dream of an unattainable future. She did what she could to keep her son happy, often surprising him with new All Might merchandise whenever she could spare the cash. But she knew that she could only do so much. Izuku needed actual companionship. He needed someone to be there for him unequivocally through thick and thin. Inko glanced at the young brunette sitting next to her son. She was giving him an affectionate, almost dreamy look. He didn't notice of course, but Inko could see the bond the two shared right away. Izuku had finally found someone he could share himself with.

Izuku excitedly picked up the last two gifts, both of which were from Ochako. Izuku tore open the paper on the smaller gift first, which revealed a package of nice pens. Before he could say anything, Ochako pointed to the other wrapped box.

"They go along with the other gift." Izuku nodded and carefully grabbed the wrapped box, it was in the shape of some kind of book, but it was oddly heavy. Izuku tore the paper off, revealing a hardcover notebook with the calligraphic words 'Hero Analysis for the Future! No.14' sewn into the front of it. He stared at it blankly for a few moments, Ochako began to worry.

"I uhh… I saw that your thirteenth notebook is in pretty bad shape, and it's almost full too. So… I… wanted to get you a new one!" Izuku snapped out of his daze, suddenly enveloping Ochako in a tight hug.

"This is amazing Uraraka! How did you even do this!?" Ochako blushed at the contact, Izuku quickly broke away, his face somehow blushing darker than hers.

"I went to the mall again and found someone who prints custom books! Can you believe they had something like that?!" Ochako watched as Izuku excitedly flipped through the blank pages of his new notebook.

"This is great! I can fit so much more into this then my smaller notebooks! Thank you so much!" Izuku still felt a little overwhelmed with the situation. He wasn't used to getting this much attention. He was always the kid in the back of the group, the odd one out. Izuku was the black sheep that was always thought of last. Even before he had a quirk, when he was in Katsuki's little friend group, he was always thought of last. They always played his games last, gave him the last turn, was always the last in line. But now, Izuku was the center of attention, and everyone had given him such thoughtful and incredible gifts. He felt his eyes tearing up. Toshinori noticed the impending shower and clapped his hands together.

"So, what do you say to some food?"

This was the greatest birthday Izuku ever had.

* * *

-Month 5-

Ochako felt another wave of lightheadedness hit her as she moved multiple tons of heavy garbage at once. Her teeth were clenched hard, sweat dripped from her brow. Her focus was fading, she was losing concentration as her ears began to ring. She shook her head, trying in vain to dispel the tingling sensations on the edge of her consciousness. Her vision doubled and she squinted her eyes, hoping to see clearly again. She couldn't feel her arm anymore, she knew at any moment, all of the trash would come crashing down, sealing its victory over her once again.

She had been struggling with her limit recently. When they started, her quirk improved dramatically. She was gaining control over her gravity manipulation and increasing her weight limit quickly. But eventually, she seemed to plateau. Her improvement seemed less dramatic every week until she hit a wall. She had tried time and time again to break past this limit, but it had always prevailed over her.

Just as she was about to give up, she glanced to her left. Izuku was struggling to pull the husk of an old rusty truck across the beach. He slipped and landed face-first in the sand multiple times. But he refused to stop. Every time he fell, he got up with a renewed inspiration in his eyes, driving him further. Ochako looked back to the floating trash in front of her.

'I can't let this beat me forever. I have to be like Deku.' Ochako felt some semblance of control come back to her. She focused on the floating objects once more, moving them a considerable distance before she felt fatigue and dizziness hit her all over again. She uncontrollably fell to her knees, nearly losing control over the heavy load above her. Her body just wanted it to stop. To just drop the trash and take a long nap in the sand. But she couldn't. She refused to give up now.

'If I give up now. Then I'll never be strong enough to avenge my parents. I'll never be able to stop the monsters that did this to me! I have to keep going! I have to go beyond!' Ochako found strength return to her. The dizziness completely faded, her focus snapped back to the large cars and appliances floating above her. She screamed in effort, shifting the gravity of the floating objects, throwing them into the large piles they had made just past the beach. After they crashed loudly into their mountainous trash pile, Ochako threw her fists up in victory.

And promptly collapsed.

She felt a pair of strong arms catch her before she collided with whatever trash happened to be below her. She felt unconsciousness grip her as Izuku's concerned voice faded into an unintelligible mumble. She was still smiling.

* * *

-Month 6-

Izuku gathered his things as their classes for the day finally concluded. He slung his bag over his shoulder, glancing at the empty seat next to him. Ochako had been forced to take the day off after overusing her quirk and dropping an empty barrel on her head. She knocked herself out, but luckily, she woke up soon after. They went to the hospital and found that she didn't concuss herself, much to their relief. She still had a pretty bad headache and a sizable cut on her forehead.

Walking silently through the hallways of Aldera, Izuku's thoughts continued to drift. He worried so much for her. He saw her go down on the beach and feared the worst. After panicking and bawling his eyes out over her unconscious form. Toshinori assured him that she should be okay. That didn't make him feel any better. Maybe if he had been closer, he could have pushed her out of the way. Then she wouldn't have been hurt. He stayed with her during the entire hospital visit and had to be forced away from her so she could sleep when they got home.

Izuku couldn't seem to rid himself of the pit of guilt that had settled inside of him. He knew that somehow; it was his fault. He should have noticed how exhausted she was. He should have known she was pushing herself too hard. If he had only stopped her, she wouldn't be in bed right now, recovering from a head injury. Granted, it was a light head injury that would be healed quickly, but that wasn't the point. It could have been avoided if Izuku had stepped in.

He shook his head, walking through the main doors of Aldera and into the chilly October air. He rounded the corner, only to collide with someone. Izuku stumbled slightly as the other person nearly fell over. He held his hand out in apology.

"I'm so sorr-" Someone slapped his hand away. The figure stood up on it's own.

"Get the fuck out of my way Deku." The voice still sent chills down Izuku spine. He subconsciously cowered away from the tempered blonde. Katsuki glared at the green haired boy, actually taking in his appearance for the first time in months. He had pretty much ignored Izuku and Ochako ever since the incident. Not wanting to risk his crumbling reputation any further. Not that he cared. But he needed a good word from his peers if he ever wanted to get into U.A. He couldn't have them going around telling people he was weak.

"Where's your shitty girlfriend huh? Off playing around with some guy's gravity?" Katsuki grinned as Izuku clenched his fists. That's when he noticed, was Izuku broader than before? No. That had to be his imagination.

"She's not my girlfriend. And _don't _talk about her like that Kacchan." Izuku gathered all of his courage and stared fiercely into Katsuki's blood red eyes, clenching his teeth in anger. The blonde's eyes widened. Izuku's voice sounded so… serious. He had never heard him talk like that to anyone before. Especially not to him.

"Yeah? And what the fuck are you gonna do about it bitch? You're still a fucking worthless Deku. Now _move._" Sparks crackled from Katsuki's palms as he attempted to shove past the green haired boy. Only to find that Izuku didn't budge. Not even an inch.

'What the fuck?'

"Kacchan. I'm not the same worthless Deku anymore." Izuku remembered Ochako's words to him one day during training.

_No matter what Bakugo does or says. You're worth more than he thinks. You're an incredible person Deku. That is something that Bakugo will never understand. That is what is going to make you the greatest hero._

"I'm going to be a hero. And no matter what, you can't stop me!" Izuku pushed past the stunned blonde. He braced himself for the explosions that were bound to be striking his back. But they never came. A large smile crossed Izuku's face.

'I did it! I actually stood up to Kacchan! And he didn't beat me to a pulp!' Izuku felt a familiar feeling in his heart, clutching a hand to his chest, he smiled toward the sky. 'Thanks Ochako'

Meanwhile, Katsuki stood on the sidewalk alone. Completely stunned at the events that just transpired.

'What the _fuck_?'

Those three words continued playing on a loop inside his head. What happened to Deku? Where did he suddenly find the courage to stand up for himself? And he was obviously stronger than he was letting on. Otherwise his shove would have completely leveled the kid.

So, what the hell?

Was Deku holding out on him this entire time? Was this some kind of sick game to him? To let him think that he was on top this entire time only to topple him in the end? Did Deku look down on him all this time?

Or was it Gravity Bitch's fault? Everything was perfect for him until _she_ came out of nowhere. Suddenly wanting to be Deku's best friend, humiliating him in front of everyone. It had to be her. There was no way useless Deku was doing this on his own.

Right?

Katsuki felt the certainty of his future as the number one hero begin to crumble beneath him.

* * *

-Month 7-

Ochako felt the night November breeze bite her face, her hair blowing slightly past her head. She stood on the roof of Izuku's apartment building, looking out upon the tall buildings of Musutafu. Clad in her pajama bottoms and a thick sweater. She hoped that the fresh air would help free her from her nightmares. That maybe if she got out of her suddenly claustrophobic room, that she would feel better.

No such luck.

The loss of her parents left an aching hole in Ochako's heart. She loved her parents dearly, and they loved her more than anything. They didn't deserve what happened to them. Some days, she felt like the grief would swallow her whole, and she wouldn't be able to escape. But, Izuku and Inko began to fill the hole in her heart with something new and beautiful. Every day, she felt the pain of her loss lessen. As the Midoriyas took her in with open arms, she found comfort in her new family.

Not only them, but All Might had somehow managed to find a place in her heart as well. Which was something that Ochako would never have guessed. If you had told her that she would meet and even befriend the number one hero, she would have laughed in your face. Yet, that's exactly what happened.

At first, she held some resentment toward him for what he inadvertently made Izuku do. His words caused the boy to commit an action that would have taken his life. The man didn't know this of course. Ochako didn't think that Izuku would be comfortable with her sharing the darkest part of his life with people. So, it was something that they kept between them.

In time, she learned to forgive the man for what he did. She couldn't help but forgive him after hearing his heartfelt apology. Add that to the fact that he had done everything for them. He gave Izuku a future and gave Ochako a home. She had no right to be upset at him for something he said. He was even training them to be ready for the entrance exam in three months!

Ochako's hand traced the light scar on her head at the thought of their training. They were almost done cleaning the beach. The large mountains of trash had been reduced to nothing. At this point, they were clearing up any of the small trash they missed. There were still a few things here and there, but not enough to take much time.

She flexed her arm, testing her newfound strength. All Might's American Dream Plan was doing wonders for her body. She felt better than ever, had a wonderful figure, and had decent muscle definition throughout her body. She had actually gained weight as her body replaced more of her fat with muscle. Not that she was complaining.

Not only was her physical strength improved, but she had newfound control over her quirk. She had been constantly pushing her limit. Always going just a little over what she thought she could handle. Some days, she was able to push past her mental barriers, other days, the trash got the best of her.

She was much stronger than any other point in her life. Not to mention her secret quirk training had been incredibly useful. But no matter what, she kept pushing herself harder. She couldn't let Izuku or All Might down. But most of all, she couldn't let her parents down. She swore that one day, she was going to go back there, and she was going to make every one of those bastards pay for what they did. She was going to avenge her parents. No matter what. She knew Izuku was going to be right beside her the whole way too.

Ochako sat on the edge of the building, her feat dangling freely over the edge. Her thoughts quickly shifted when she thought of the freckled boy. A very familiar warmth spread through her chest at the thought of him. He was plain looking, but if you talked to him for more then five minutes then you would learn that Izuku Midoriya was anything but plain. In the last seven months, Ochako had learned a lot about the boy. She learned that he was absolutely obsessed with heroes. To the point where it was nearly all he ever talked about.

Izuku was also incredibly shy and socially awkward. Not that she could blame or judge him for that. All his life, he was rejected and turned away by anyone be might have called a friend. Which caused him to live most of his childhood alone. He had no idea how to even talk to her when he first met her. Not understanding a lot of social cues and general awkwardness plagued the start of their friendship. Even now, it still reared its ugly head from time to time. But he had grown very comfortable around her and completely came out of his carefully crafted shell. Even if he was still socially awkward around her, it was one of the things Ochako found endearing about him.

Izuku was also one of the most kindhearted and selfless people you could ever hope to meet. No matter what they did, Izuku always put her first. At school, he always allowed her to pick what they studied, so she could be confident in her studies before him. At home, he always allowed her to get ready in the morning first. She found it incredibly cute, but sometimes it annoyed her.

He was also one of the most determined people she had ever met. When Izuku set his mind to something, he would never stop until he reached that goal. Maybe it was living his life without a quirk that made him turn out this way. But he always got this look in his eye, a look that told you that failure wasn't an option. She had seen it many times during their cleanup together at the beach. Whether it was when he was moving an obscenely large piece of broken equipment, or when he was constantly running back and forth, adding an infinite number of tires to a mountainous pile. It was inspiring whenever he did this, as Ochako always felt like she had to do her best, otherwise she was letting him down.

Maybe these were the reasons why she was feeling this way.

Ochako didn't like to admit it, but she was falling for her best friend. Hard.

She didn't know when it started, but she began feeling different things about Izuku. Seeing him tirelessly working at the beach, his body covered in a sheen of sweat, made her feel things she never knew she could. She had never seen him without his shirt on, but she could only imagine what all of the physical training had done to his body. Whenever he sent her one of his beaming smiles, her legs instantly turned to jelly, her poor heart melting in her chest. On more than one occasion, she had caught herself counting the freckles on his cheeks, or staring at his eyes, or lips. She tried to push these feelings down, but they kept coming back with more intensity.

Not only this, but she felt things much deeper than a physical attraction to him. She wanted to always be there for him. To be right next to him on his journey to becoming the greatest hero. Any time Izuku fell, she felt an incredibly strong urge to pick him up and dust him off. Even if he pulled himself up on his own and kept going. She wanted to be there for him, no matter what hell he had to face.

She wanted desperately to confess. To tell him about everything she felt. To tell him that she loved him. But she was terrified. Rejection wasn't something that she was sure she could deal with. The mere thought of Izuku not returning her feelings, or ruining their friendship broke her heart. They had a really good thing going, and she didn't want to ruin it because of some selfish feelings she had for him.

She noticed the pitch-black sky had turned to a lighter tone of light grays and blues. The sun would be coming up soon, they would be heading out to the beach again. This was it. Today was the day Izuku would be receiving his power, and she was going to be right there with him for it. Ochako got up and turned around, spotting a fleeting shadow in the corner of her eye. She looked around cautiously, raising her arms slightly in defense.

"Hello? Is someone there?" Ochako glanced around the seemingly empty rooftop. Maybe the light was playing tricks on her? She turned toward the staircase, only to find a man in a hoodie standing in the doorway. She jumped back in surprise, ready to defend herself at any moment. His hood was covering any distinguishable features on his face. "Who are you?" Ochako tried the hide the slight quiver in her voice. This was no time to be afraid. Heroes were never scared.

He glanced up at her, she noticed his eyes were blood red and his skin was pale and cracked. Most of his face was still wreathed in shadows. "Call me Tomura. I just had a few questions for you…" His voice was dark and sinister. It sent chills up Ochako's spine; this was definitely not good. She saw a wicked grin glinting from behind the shadow of his hood. Every instinct Ochako had told her to run away and find the nearest hero, but she pressed on. She wasn't going to show this guy that she was scared. The sudden tenseness made the air around them seem several times heavier.

"What kind of questions?" Ochako put on a brave face. Inwardly, she was panicking. Trying to think of some kind of escape. She had no idea what his quirk was. She could easily jump off the roof and cushion her landing with her quirk, but she didn't want to risk a fall from that height if he could somehow disable her.

'Who is this guy? What does he want with me? Wait… no…. they couldn't have found me yet!' Ochako's panicked mind spiked adrenaline throughout her body, she needed to get out of here. Fast.

"Well…" Tomura took a few steps forward, Ochako stepped back. "Sensei says you're incredibly powerful. But you just look like a terrified schoolgirl to me." Tomura let out a dark chuckle. Ochako's eyes narrowed at the man. Obviously, her brave mask needed some work.

'So… he wasn't part of what happened to me. But how does his master know about me?' She steeled herself, clenching her fists, she wasn't telling this guy anything.

"I'm not telling you anything! Just leave me alone!" The man frowned, obviously not happy with the resistance he was getting. Ochako's stomach turned.

"Why don't you just come with me quietly? And you don't have to get hurt…" Ochako's eyes widened as he took a few steps toward her, quickly closing the distance between them. She backpedaled, the back of her feet collided with the lip of the building's roof, nearly causing her to fall. He wanted to kidnap her! To take her away somewhere!

'No! Never again! Please!'

Tomura slipped a pair of gloves onto his hands. Ochako noticed this.

'Gloves? Does his quirk have something to do with his hands?' Tomura reached an arm forward, holding out his hand. Offering her to come with him peacefully.

"I said get away from me. I'm not going anywhere." Ochako said quickly She would die before being sent back to a hell like that. Tomura closed his eyes and sighed in frustration.

"Why do they always have to be so much trouble?" He asked himself before taking a step closer to the girl. "Don't make me force you girl. Sensei wants you _alive_. He never said anything about unharmed." His eyes pierced right through her. Ochako leaned away from him as far as she could without sending herself over the edge.

She glanced down, the distance to the ground seeming to stretch endlessly. A few cars crossed the road, making an early morning commute to work. Realistically, she could just jump off and shift her gravity mid-air to safely land. She knew she could do it; she just needed her legs to _move_. But no matter how hard she willed them to, her legs were stuck to the concrete. Her natural instinct told her that jumping would be certain death. She just needed to push past her basic instincts and make the jump.

Before he could make another move, the door to the staircase slowly opened.

"Uraraka? You up here?" Izuku's voice rang out like a foghorn in her ears.

* * *

Izuku opened the door to the top of the stairwell. This was the last place he could look before really panicking. He woke up just before his alarm went off, quickly turning it off as to not disturb anyone else. The first thing he noticed was that Ochako's alarm was still going off after about five minutes. Finding it unusual, Izuku decided to check on her, only to find that she wasn't in her room.

He quickly searched everywhere in their home, checking each and every room. After not finding her anywhere, Izuku began to worry. After running through the lobby at four in the morning like a madman, he decided to check the roof before calling anyone. Opening the door, he was met with the sight of Ochako backed up to the edge of the building, a dark figure looming over her.

Tomura turned his attention to the green haired boy. Blood red eyes met emerald green ones, they stayed still for a moment. Izuku's eyes suddenly sharpened on the hooded man, sensing the danger. Ochako suddenly kicked him in the chest with all the force she could muster.

Tomura landed hard on the concrete of the roof, the wind knocked out of him. Before either teen could advance on him, he quickly jumped to his feet and sprinted toward the edge of the roof. Tomura was smart, he knew that he was at a disadvantage. He had no idea what the capabilities of either if these teens were. Even after watching them work at Dagobah beach. He jumped off the apartment roof, successfully landing on the roof of an adjacent building. He glanced back and growled, he didn't like waiting, but he would have more opportunities to catch her. Besides, she wasn't the number one concern right now.

Izuku watched through glaring eyes as the hooded man fled the fight. Ochako sprinted toward him, enveloping him in a bone crushing hug. Izuku returned the hug without hesitation. He buried one of his hands in her hair as she cried into his shoulder. The fear and adrenaline of the situation coming out of her all at once. Izuku had no idea who that man was, but the sight of his eyes sent chills down his spine. He saw nothing but hatred and evil in those eyes. But what did he want?

He continued to soothe Ochako until her sobbing subsided, whispering that she was okay now. She pulled back slightly but refused to release her hold on him. Izuku looked into her reddened eyes. He had only ever seen her this afraid after her nightmares.

"Thank you." Those were the only words she said before she enveloped him in another tight hug. Izuku held her for a while, the morning sun rose above the horizon, warming their embrace even further.

* * *

The pair quickly made their way off the train, thankful for the quiet ride. The trains were almost always packed during all hours of the day, except for the early hours of the morning. The only ones on the train with them had jobs they had to show up early for. The lack of chaos was welcomed by the teens. Especially after the morning they had.

Their hoodies didn't do much to stave off the November chill. The teens walked in silence next to each other. Izuku was worried. Ochako hadn't said much of anything since the incident this morning. He didn't want to broach the subject and make her uncomfortable, but he needed to know what was going on.

"So, uhh… are you okay Uraraka?" Izuku started, hoping that she was calmed down enough to talk about what happened. Ochako bit her lip for a moment, as if she was debating what to say.

"Yea-… no. Not really." Ochako wasn't going to lie to him. Their friendship had been as transparent as possible until now. She wasn't going to ruin that by lying to him now. Izuku looked downcast.

"What happened? Who was that guy?" The image of Tomura's disturbing features clouded her mind.

"He said his name was Tomura." Ochako hesitated for a moment, shoving her hands into her hoodie pocket. "He said that his Sensei thought I was incredibly powerful. Then he said he was going to take me away to him." Her voice wavered a bit at the thought of being taken somewhere against her will. Izuku felt anger and frustration wash over him. What if he hadn't gotten to her in time? Where would she be?

"I'll never let them take you away Uraraka. You mean too much to me." Ochako smiled at his words, finding comfort in his protectiveness. Ochako made a daring move, stretching her arm and grasping his hand. They both blushed heavily, but Ochako smiled through it.

"Thanks Deku." She squeezed his hand, before letting go and forcing her attention forward again.

The Dagobah beach sign came into view. The large trash piles the beach had become famous for were gone. They saw All Might's truck parked in in's usual place, but the hero was nowhere to be found. They stopped at the edge of the beach, fully taking in the view for the first time. They had always been so focused on cleaning individual sections of the beach that they never just stood back and admired their work.

It was breathtaking.

The clean ocean water sparkled in the morning sun. The clean sand began warming at the first rays of light. It was one of the most beautiful things they had ever seen. Maybe it was because it was their hard work that did this. Because of them, this beach had turned into one of the most beautiful parks in town.

They blonde hero came into view, he was walking along the beach, inspecting their handiwork with a large smile on his face. They approached the muscled hero with hesitant smiles on their faces. Hopefully All Might approved of the job they had done. He noticed them and rushed toward the teens, opening his arms.

"**THIS IS AMAZING! YOU EVEN CLEANED OUTSIDE OF THE DESIGNATED AREAS!"** Izuku beamed at his hero. Absolutely ecstatic that his hero approved of his work. **"I'M SO PROUD OF BOTH OF YOU. YOUR HARD WORK HAS MADE AN IMPACT ON YOUR COMMUNITY. THANKS TO YOU, THIS BEACH WILL BE REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC. THIS IS AN INCREADIBLE FEAT. I KNEW YOU BOTH COULD DO IT." **All Might praised his students. He was truly proud of the work they were putting in. They were more than worthy of going to U.A. They poured their blood, sweat, and tears into bettering themselves. Izuku's eyes were sparkling, he noticed a distant look in Ochako's eyes.

"**WHATS THE MATTER YOUNG URARAKA? THIS IS A TREMENDOUS MOMENT!" **

"Well… something happened this morning…" Ochako thoroughly explained what happened on the rooftop that morning. Describing her attacker with as much detail as she could. Trying to remember everything about him. All Might held a finger to his chin in thought.

"**HMM… I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS TOMURA BEFORE. HE'S OBVIOUSLY NOT WORKING ALONE… BUT HE MENTIONED A 'SENSEI'? HMM… THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT."** All Might shook his head, focusing on the pair once again. **"STAY ON YOUR GUARD. THIS GUY COULD BE BAD NEWS. ESPECIALLY IF HE IS AFTER URARAKA SPECIFICALLY. LET ME KNOW IF ANYTHING SUSPICIOUS HAPPENS."** Both teens nodded. They were going to have to be extra careful from now on.

All Might turned his attention to Izuku. **"NOW! I BELIEVE IT'S TIME!"** Izuku's legs wobbled, he felt like he was going to faint from excitement. He was getting a quirk. He was getting a quirk! Something he desperately wanted for his entire life was now within his grasp. It almost didn't seem real. At any time, he expected to wake up from whatever coma he fell into, because this had to be a dream. **"THIS IS THE POWER TO BECOME A TRUE SYMBOL OF PEACE."** He plucked a strand of long, golden hair from one of the tall spikes on his head. **"BEING THE SYMBOL OF PEACE IS MUCH MORE THAN BEING THE GREATEST HERO. PEOPLE WILL LOOK UP TO YOU, THEY WILL PULL INSPIRATION FROM YOU. THEY WILL TAKE ONE LOOK AT YOU AND KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY."** All Might's smile widened. **"BECAUSE YOU WILL BE THERE! SAVING EVERYONE WITH A SMILE!"** The hero extended his hand toward the green haired boy. His lock of hair blowing gently in the wind. **"IZUKU MIDORIYA. I HEREBY NAME YOU THE NINETH INHERITOR OF ONE FOR ALL!"** Tears fell from Izuku's eyes at the sound of those words. His dream was finally becoming a reality. He dreamed of his moment since he was a little kid, and now it was here.

Ochako felt tears stinging her eyes as well, this monumental moment meant everything to Izuku. His dream was finally coming true. He was finally going to get a quirk. His life was changing today. Nothing could possibly shatter this moment.

"**EAT THIS!"**

* * *

A/N: There you go! I hope you enjoyed this one!

Thanks to this virus, my University is closed. So I'll have some more time off to work on this. I might post another chapter early but I make no promises.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_One for All_

Izuku thrashed wildly in his bed, holding the covers white knuckled in pain. Sweat dripped down his head as he let out a groan. Ochako held his arms down once again to prevent him from injuring himself, tears running down her face. His limbs twitched and spasmed constantly, red streaks of energy shooting across his skin like lightning. It hurt her to see him like this. In such discomfort and pain while she was unable to help him. They had already given him some painkillers, but All Might suggested that they don't use too many drugs to allow the quirk to naturally flow through him. She thought back to the hero's words just a few hours ago on the beach.

_Izuku cringed, resisting the urge to gag as the hair tangled and slowly made it's way down his throat. All Might smiled wider than ever before. Happy that his goal for so many years was finally met. He found a successor. For so long, he was so worried that he wouldn't find anyone worthy enough to responsibly wield One for All and carry on his legacy. While there were an infinite amount of people out there with enough power and talent, none had the heart and character that was required. But just as he made his decision to teach at U.A, a last-ditch effort to find someone worthy to succeed him, he found Izuku._

_At first sight, Izuku looked like nothing more than a fanboy with no real talent or drive. Always shying away from people and too weak to really defend himself. He looked like he had no potential to be a hero at all. So, when his idol learned that being a hero was all he ever wanted, he had to do something. He couldn't just let this poor kid get killed because he was chasing an unattainable goal. _

_How wrong he was._

_The moment he saw Izuku run head-first at the sludge villain to save a hostage, while everyone else stood back and watched, he knew that he was the one. Izuku just needed a little bit of conditioning and training to turn his body into a proper vessel for One for All. Well… he needed a __**lot**__ of training to ever hope to wield his quirk. _

_He had come so far._

_The boy standing in front of him, a face wrenched in disgust at eating the hair, looked nothing like the boy who was begging him for an autograph merely seven months ago. His frame was clearly broader, his arms bulked up considerably too, a sharp contrast from the scrawny and thin build he used to have. Izuku's body type was still lean rather than bulky, but there was clear muscle definition and strength in him now. A testament to the seven months of hard work he put in. But this was only the beginning. _

"_NOW… YOUR BODY SHOULD DIGEST THE HAIR IN A FEW HOURS. ONE FOR ALL IS GOING TO RUN THROUGH YOUR BODY AND BECOME ACCLIMATED TO IT'S NEW HOST. MY BODY WAS ALREADY TRAINED AND MORE THAN READY TO ACCEPT THE QUIRK, BUT I STILL SUFFERED FROM SOME PAIN AND DISCOMFORT WHEN I RECEIVED IT. ONE FOR ALL MANIFESTS DIFFERENTLY IN ALL OF IT'S HOLDERS. SO, I SUGGEST YOU HEAD HOME AND LIE DOWN. IF THE PAIN BECOMES TOO MUCH, YOU MAY TAKE A FEW PAINKILLERS FOR IT, BUT DON'T OVERDO IT. I'LL MESSAGE YOU IN A FEW HOURS TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS OKAY." _

With that, Izuku and Ochako left the beach to go back to the Midoriya household. When they got home, his mother had already left for work, so they had the place to themselves. They made some food to eat and sat together on the sofa to watch some hero documentaries. Anything to calm Izuku's nerves. He was incredibly excited to finally have a quirk in his body, even if the transferring process wasn't quite how he imagined it. But he was nervous about what All Might said, was it going to hurt? Was his body truly ready for One for All? Or was it going to kill him?

After a few hours of chatting and paying half attention to the movies on the television, Izuku's body began to twitch. Just a slight twitch of his eye, or another random muscle on his body, every once in a while. There were some slight muscle pains he complained about as well. Ochako gave him a few painkillers to hopefully soothe his discomfort. Slowly, the twitches grew in frequency and intensity. Ochako's attention quickly diverted to her friend, who was beginning to panic, terrified of what was happening to his body. He needed a distraction.

She asked him about certain heroes and their quirks, hoping to calm him down some and shift his attention from his body. It worked for a moment, until his muscles began cramping harshly, causing him to cry out in pain.

It almost looked as if he was having a seizure, various parts of his body spasming and flexing uncontrollably. He shrieked in pain, doubling over when his abs suddenly cramped harshly. Ochako quickly held him and carried him into his room, carefully setting his twitching body onto his bed. She was so scared, but she had to be strong for him, panicking now wouldn't get them anywhere.

Her composure broke when he suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain. Red veins of energy suddenly appeared on his skin, crisscrossing throughout his body and causing him to glow slightly. His arms and legs began thrashing wildly, he grabbed the sheets of his bed, trying to keep his arms from flailing. A loud rip echoed through the walls of his room as he ripped his All Might themed sheets to pieces. Ochako quickly hovered over him, pressing his wrists to the bed, pinning him down so he couldn't injure himself. His violent tremors felt like they were shaking the world around him.

His skin was burning, her hands screamed in protest at the contact, but she refused to let go. Izuku continued to scream as the red veins on his skin glowed even brighter, his eyes were clenched shut, she could see tears streaming from his eyelids. Her own splotched his shirt.

"U-URARAKA! IT… IT HURTS SO MUCH!" Izuku choked the pained words through clenched teeth. A sob wracked Ochako's chest as she watched his face contort in pain and agony.

"Deku! Look at me okay?! Please look at me…" Izuku opened his eyes. Ochako was surprised to find his eyes had gone from their forest green to a brilliant emerald hue. His irises were glowing brightly as he gazed at her. His eyes wide with fear and terror.

"PLEASE! NO MORE! M-MAKE IT STOP!" Izuku begged, his body continuing to thrash violently. Ochako sobbed heavily, unable to keep her composure.

"You'll be okay Deku! It… it'll be over soon, I promise!" She tried desperately to form words. Her panicked mind jumbling any coherent thoughts. Izuku's convulsing body stilled for a moment, before a jolt of energy ran through it, shocking him to his core.

"Was… my body not ready? Am… am I going to die? I don't want to!" Izuku screamed as a jolt rocketed through his body. Green lightning began coursing across his tremoring form, burning Ochako occasionally. She still refused to let go. She tried to clear the worry and terror from her face, she couldn't panic now. She looked him in the eyes.

"You're gonna be okay Deku. You're going be fine." Ochako said to herself as much as her friend. Izuku focused on her, trying to calm his panicking mind. It just hurt so much. Izuku hadn't ever felt agony like this before. It seemed to burn and shock every cell in his body. Torturing every part of him all at once.

Izuku's vision flashed white as a new level of pain rolled through him. His muscles uncontrollably thrashed and spasmed, Ochako just barely able to hold him down. He could feel his bones. Something was happening to them. They ached horribly and shots of blinding pain nearly made him pass out. His muscles felt like they were constantly ripping and tearing themselves to pieces. He screamed for the thousandth time, he tried to focus on Ochako's eyes, searching for the chocolate brown irises that might somehow save him from this hell. But he couldn't see straight. His vision was blurry and doubled, the blinding pain in his body made it impossible to focus on anything.

He could hear Ochako's voice murmuring in his mind, but it was muddled and unintelligible. He blinked, trying to force his vision to straighten and sharpen. His head was swimming, he found that he couldn't even think clearly. How and cold flashes flared up all across his body, his nervous system thrown completely into the wind.

Izuku clenched his teeth nearly biting the tip of his tongue off, desperately trying to get any part of his body to obey his commands. Everything was out of his control, limbs thrashing and muscles spasming constantly. He felt as if at any moment, his body would fall apart on him. He let out another shriek of pain, briefly seeing green sparks flying wildly throughout the room. However, something within him felt much worse than all of the searing, burning pain.

The unbearable terror deep in his heart.

He didn't want to die. For the first time in his life, he had things to live for. He didn't want to die before he had the chance to become the greatest hero he could. Before he had the chance to actually live his life. He didn't want to lose this. He didn't want to lose his mother, or All Might, or his future of becoming a hero, which had suddenly grown a thousand times brighter.

He didn't want to lose Ochako.

He couldn't feel her moving her hands up his arms, desperately attempting to soothe his tremoring muscles with her touch. Wanting only to stop his agony. Her tears continued spilling from her face, dampening his clothes. She was so scared; this wasn't supposed to happen. Izuku wasn't supposed to die like this. Killed by the very same thing that gave him so much hope for a heroic future.

'You're going to be okay Izuku. You have to be okay. You can't leave me.'

Ochako wrapped her arms around him tightly, keeping his arms pinned against him. She buried her head in the crook of his neck. She could feel the heat radiating from his skin. The muscles underneath twitched and spasmed, flowing with new and sudden power. Green sparks relentlessly struck everything around him, sending sharp burning pains throughout Ochako's body whenever they struck.

She wanted to get up and do _something_. She wanted to call paramedics, or All Might. Anyone who could actually help in this situation. But she refused to let Izuku go, she just held him as tightly as she could, desperately clinging to the hope that somehow Izuku would be okay at the end of this. His screams and cries of pain began to die down, either because of thrashing his voice or the pain was lessening, Ochako couldn't tell.

She lost track of how long they were like that. Izuku's pained whimpers and trembling body held in Ochako's tight embrace. Eventually, the bright lines of energy on his body disappeared, the green lightning soon following. The glow on his skin dimmed and faded, the sharp jolts of his muscles fading in severity. Ochako loosened her vice grip on him, feeling his body grow more still.

Dread filled her, fearing the worst, Ochako rose to her knees, getting a clear view of Izuku's form. His eyes were closed, tears still streaming down his flushed cheeks. He was breathing heavily through his mouth, his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. His hands were occasionally clenching and unclenching into fists, as if unconsciously testing new strength.

Ochako sighed in relief, staving off the panic that continued to lurk in her mind. He was alive, he was going to make it. She blinked, attempting to clear her tear-filled eyes. Her open sobs turned to hiccups and shaky breaths. Now that she was sure he was still alive, she quickly looked him over.

His arms and legs were tensed, his muscles had grown visibly, clothes that fit him hours ago were now stretched and strained. While they weren't constantly spasming and flailing out of control, she could still see them tensing and relaxing repeatedly. His limbs were bruised heavily underneath his singed skin. They were likely fractured or broken. A tendril of red energy would occasionally rocket across his skin. His bed was a mess, covers were ripped and mangled, sweat and tears staining and dampening the ruined cloth.

While Izuku was alive, he was still very far from okay. The contorted expression he wore told her of the pain he was still suffering. His bones and muscles needed to be fixed soon otherwise he would suffer permanent damage.

Ochako wasted no time, holding out her hands to his wounded limbs and activating her quirk. A familiar warmth spread through her arms and out her palms, enveloping Izuku in a faint green glow.

* * *

_Izuku looked around frantically, confused and dazed. Where was he? He rose from his kneeling position on the… water? The ground sounded and felt like liquid, but he was standing on it perfectly fine. The pitch-black water mirrored his endlessly dark surroundings. He squinted into the darkness, hoping to see anything that would help him figure out where he was._

"_Hello?" He said before his brain could register the action. His voice sounded odd, echoed and distant. As if his voice wasn't coming from him, but from somewhere far away. Only it's echoes meeting his ears. He noticed a darkness creeping around him, somehow darker than the pitch blackness of his surroundings. The shadows shifted, morphing and swirling into seven separate shadows, some more transparent than others. One of the shadows swirled violently and solidified into the shape of a woman. She looked around her thirties and had jet black hair, which fell slightly past her shoulders._

"_Hello, Izuku." The woman gave him a calming smile, making him feel slightly more at ease._

"_H-How do you know my name?" His voice echoed throughout the endless expanse. _

"_We are One for All. The previous seven holders. We are a part of you now." Izuku nodded, glancing at the shadowy figures behind her._

"_Who are you? And why can I only see you?"_

"_My name is Nana Shimura. I trained Toshinori Yagi to wield One for All. I am the most recent holder to be deceased. Over time, our spirits will fade until they are nothing more than shadows. Eventually, even I will begin to disappear." Izuku's eyes widened. He was meeting All Might's mentor! His teacher! He had so many questions! She held a hand up and smiled widely, as if she knew exactly what was running through the young boy's mind._

"_None of that matters now Izuku. I'm dead and gone now. Toshinori has carried on my legacy and made me proud. Now it's your turn to carry on his." Her smile reminded him eerily of All Might. Izuku rubbed his arm nervously, suddenly remembering the events that transpired moments ago._

"_One for All nearly killed me. Am I ready for this?" Izuku looked hopefully at the woman's gray irises. She smiled confidently at him._

"_Of course you're ready, One for All manifests differently in each user. Stockpiling and amplifying power with each user, transferring an even more powerful quirk to the next generation. You are inheriting all of our power, including Toshinori's. Your body just needed to… adjust. Luckily for you, your dear friend was able to heal you before any permanent damage was done." Izuku felt waves of relief run over him at her affirmation. This was so surreal, to be talking to someone who supposedly dead for a long time._

'_Wait, what did she say about healing?'_

"_Now, to the matter at hand." She interrupted his thoughts._

_The figures behind her shifted again, morphing and changing into bright lights of various colors. They spun and danced around beautifully, glowing brilliantly against the pitch blackness of this mysterious void. Nana held her arms out._

"_Izuku Midoriya, you have inherited a legacy that is generations in the making. You have taken on a responsibility along with this incredible power. There is another, however. A symbol of evil. His name is All for One. Toshinori believes him to be defeated, but that is not the case. Your duty as the holder of One for All is to battle All for One and stop the forces of evil from shrouding the world in darkness. The battle between the symbol of peace and evil has gone on for generations. Neither gaining any real ground on one another, their quirks growing in power and destructiveness with each generation." The bright orbs of light began swirling around Izuku, slowly gaining speed and brightness._

"_But something has changed. You are different Izuku. Something happened on that day seven months ago that shifted the balance. The fates of One for All and All for One have always clashed. But that day, they have been entwined. The world as you know it is about to crumble. Only the powers of One for All and All for One can set the course of history." The swirling orbs suddenly stopped in front of him, materializing shadowy figures around them._

"_IZUKU MIDORIYA. OUR QUIRKS ARE YOURS TO INHERIT!" Seven voices spoke at once, before the bright orbs of light suddenly enveloped his body, his vision was flooded with white._

* * *

Izuku slowly blinked open his eyes, his surroundings slowly registering in his brain. The first thing he noticed was the lack of pain. His muscles were no longer twitching out of control, and the white-hot pain he experienced before was completely absent.

Izuku looked around, he was in his room. How did he get here? Why did his body feel so different? His limbs felt physically heavier, as if his bones and muscles had grown multiple times thicker. He flexed his arm experimentally, feeling much more strength than before.

Izuku felt a warm weight on his chest, something soft. He looked down, eyes widening in surprise and embarrassment. Chestnut hair was splayed haphazardly across his chest, her cheek resting on him, gently rising and falling with his quickening breaths. The fogginess of sleep quickly disappeared in Izuku's mind, he found himself suddenly hyper aware of the situation. His face flushed further at the sound of her mumbling cutely in her sleep. She shifted slightly at Izuku's increased movement, letting out a groan of discontent. One of her arms unconsciously wrapped itself around Izuku, settling on his back. The other was resting somewhere behind him. She let out a sigh, nuzzling her head further into Izuku's chest.

His heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. Familiar feelings returned like a raging inferno. Feelings that he wasn't sure how to handle. In all honesty, he didn't know _what_ he was feeling. He was very fond of Ochako. She was the first person to call him friend ever since he was a child. Even after she learned of his quirklessness, she refused to leave. She always went out of her way to make him feel comfortable, always stuck up for him at school, always supported him at the beach. She was always there for him, of course he thought of her highly.

He admired her as well. She was such a strong person. Her courage and passion always driving her further. Quirk training, schoolwork, even just being his friend. Ochako was an unstoppable force when she sought to get something done. Her refusal to give up always sparked a particular fire within him. One that allowed him to push far past his own limits. Izuku wouldn't be where he was, who he was, today if he hadn't met her.

But it went further than that. Izuku knew of the concept of love. He heard about how it felt, and what it could do to people. The bond it could forge between people was beautiful. Love was commonly known as one of the most powerful forces in the world. When he was younger, he often fantasized about finding a partner and true companion who he could share his life with. But having the childhood he did quickly snuffed out any hope of that. He long accepted that he would likely live and die alone.

Ochako completely flipped his world upside down.

Ever since he met her, new feelings and thoughts cropped up within him constantly. Had no idea how to deal with these newfound feelings and emotions. Anytime they shared an accidental intimate touch, or whenever she caught him staring, it caused his brain to completely shut down. Turning him into a stuttering, tripping mess trying to mend his actions or words. He had no idea that such wonderful feelings like this could even exist. He wanted so badly to embrace and accept them.

But he couldn't do that. They had a wonderful friendship and he didn't want to ruin that. What if she didn't feel the same? What if she thought he was a creep because he felt that way about her? Their friendship would be ruined, and he couldn't do that. He couldn't lose her. She was a strong source of strength for him. She inspired him, supported him, and enabled him to reach the level he was at today. He relied on her; he couldn't let his selfish feelings get in the way of that.

If you asked Izuku about quirks, he could talk your ear off all night. But ask him about love? You were met with a blank stare. Izuku was simply never exposed to it. Other than the familial love he shared with his mother. No, actual romantic feelings toward someone were a completely foreign concept to him. He didn't even know how to feel. No one had ever approached him with confessions of love or even friendship. He didn't even know how someone was supposed to react to that. Was it normal? Did it happen between friends a lot? Or was it creepy and offputting?

His gaze focused on Ochako's face once again, her brown hair obscuring her features slightly. He couldn't resist the urge to softly run his hand through her hair. He smiled at the softness of it, happiness swelling within him. She shifted, Izuku froze in fear.

'What am I doing? This isn't right. She isn't even awake…' Izuku was about to pull his hand back when he noticed a small smile grace her sleeping face. Her head unconsciously leaned into his touch. His heart swelled at the implication. Was there a chance? Could there be something more between them? Was there even the slightest possibility that she liked him that way?

'There's no way. The smile doesn't mean anything. She's asleep, she doesn't even know what's happening.' Izuku's face fell at his own thoughts. He needed to face reality. What could she possibly like about him? There must have been so many others his age that were better for her. He was lucky to have her as a friend; he shouldn't get greedy and ask more from her. Izuku smiled at the sound of her soft snores. Her face resting comfortably against his chest, soft features relaxed. After fighting with himself for a moment, he slowly wrapped an arm around her, holding her closer. He smiled contently, resting his head back on his pillow. He glanced at his nightstand, his clock reading that it was nearly two in the afternoon.

His thoughts drifted back to his mysterious dream. It was still so much to take in. All for One? The ultimate enemy of One for All? How was he supposed to stop something like that? What even was their quirk? How has no one ever heard of them before?

The words she uttered after that statement weighed heavily in his mind as well. She said that he was different. Something happened that offset the balance between the symbols of peace and evil. But what could that possibly be?

_Something happened day seven months ago that shifted the balance._

'What could that even mean? What day could she be talking about?'

The day he tried to kill himself came to mind first. It was the only possible event she could be referring to. The day that completely changed his life. But what could have happened that changed something so drastically?

Izuku sighed in frustration. He wasn't getting anywhere with this. She threw so much at him and he had no time to process any of it. What had originally been a gateway to his future as a hero suddenly turned into a battle-generations in the making. It was overwhelming to say the least. He was just Izuku, the boy who couldn't do anything right.

Izuku closed his eyes, feeling the familiar tug of sleep beckon him to the comforts of unconsciousness. His phone suddenly buzzed loudly in his pocket.

"A MESSAGE IS HERE!"

Ochako began to stir. Izuku froze in fear, watching as the brunette groggily opened her eyes, letting out a long yawn. She stretched her arms out, loosening the stiffness of sleeping in such a different position. Blinking her eyes repeatedly, Izuku could visibly see the sleepiness fade from her face.

And morph into terror at realizing what happened.

She shrieked loudly, throwing herself off him and stumbling off the bed. She landed on her back, hitting the ground with a soft thud. Her face was completely red from ear to ear. Izuku leaned over the bed, his worry for his friend getting the best of him.

"Uraraka! Are you okay!?" Ochako nodded her head, trying to break through her flustered mind to at least move. She quickly rose to her feet, standing awkwardly next to Izuku's bed. Her mind was conflicted. One part of her wanted to wrap Izuku in a bear hug and kiss him, relieved that he was okay. While the other part of her wanted to turn tail and run as far away from this situation as she could. Izuku smiled in relief, sitting in a cross-legged position on his bed.

The room was completely silent. Neither teen knew what to say to one another. What _could_ you say after such a traumatic experience? To be honest, Izuku was relieved that he didn't feel any pain at all after such an ordeal. It was nothing short of a miracle. Izuku looked at his hands lightly resting in his lap.

"It doesn't hurt anymore…" He trailed off.

'Really? That's all you had to say? After everything she did for you?'

Ochako chuckled dryly, rubbing her arm nervously.

"I'm so happy to hear that Deku…" Izuku immediately noticed the tone of her voice wasn't quite as chipper and happy as he was used to. It lacked the enthusiasm and passion that was Ochako's personality. Worry instantly took him. She _needed_ to know. She _deserved_ to know how he felt.

He was so thankful that Ochako was there. If she hadn't stayed with him, he likely would have panicked, causing much more damage to himself and everything around him. His focus on her was the reason he was even able to suffer through the process of One for All entering his body. Even when things were stressful and chaotic, she stayed by his side through all of it. Tears stung Izuku's eyes as he threw his arms around her. She let out a squeak of surprise, quickly catching her balance.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for being there Uraraka. I don't know what I would have done without you. I… I'm so grateful that you're my friend and I…" Izuku hesitated. Why couldn't he say it? Just three simple words and it would be over with! He felt Ochako softly wrap her warm arms around him as well. She was stunned, completely at a loss for words. Izuku sniffled, trying to muster the courage to tell her how he feels.

"I… I…" He faltered. The words were stuck in his throat. He only managed to let out choked sobs and sniffles.

_Coward_

Ochako rubbed the back of his head softly. Running her fingers through his green locks.

"It's alright Deku. Of course I didn't leave you. I could never do that. Especially when you were in so much pain. I care about you a lot. It broke my heart to see you like that…" Ochako felt the pressure from earlier rising in her chest once again. The anxiety and terror overwhelmed her, causing her to clutch Izuku's body even tighter.

"Thank you… thank you…" Izuku repeated, clinging to her desperately. He really didn't deserve to have someone like her in his life. She always stopped everything she was doing to make sure he was okay. Whenever he struggled and fell during their physical training, she would always stop and make sure he was okay. Offering him words of encouragement to keep him going, to go further and surpass his limits. She gave him the strength to stand up to the person who made his life hell. She literally turned his whole life around.

He truly didn't deserve her.

They separated after a few moments, their embarrassment causing each to become flustered. Izuku still wasn't used to close contact with people. Especially not with someone he cared about so much.

Suddenly remembering the cause of Ochako's earlier awakening, Izuku fished his phone out of his pocket, quickly typing his password and selecting the messenger app. There was a small +1 next to All Might's name. Curious, Izuku opened the message.

**Toshinori: How is everything going?**

The young teen smiled at the hero's thoughtfulness. Even though he promised to check up on them in a few hours, the gesture still meant something to him. He was about to type that everything was okay, and he didn't need to worry, until something caught his eye. Izuku focused on his bed, eyes widening at the ripped and torn sheets. He looked around, now noticing the ripped pieces of his blanket strewn haphazardly throughout the room. His eyes narrowed, glancing at Ochako, who was beginning to pick up the pieces of the demolished cloth.

Things _weren't_ okay. Things went horribly wrong. He almost _died_.

**Izuku: Something happened. Can you come see us?**

**Toshinori: I'm on my way. Are you hurt?**

**Izuku: No, we're both fine.**

**Toshinori: Thank goodness, I'll be there soon.**

Izuku turned to his friend. "All Might's coming. He says he'll be here soon" The brunette nodded affirmatively. She wanted answers as much as him.

Ochako watched as Izuku pocketed his phone and started cleaning up his room, colleting the shredded covers and disposing them into a trash bag. The suffocating pressure of dread and fear slowly began to alleviate, allowing her to breathe freely again. The fear of losing him still weighted heavily in her mind. She just couldn't get his agony stricken face out of her head. His screams still echoed in her ears.

She helped Izuku clean the rest of his room and dispose of the ruined sheets. They headed back to his room, Izuku sat at his desk and began writing in his hero book. Ochako retrieved her biology textbook from her room and set it on Izuku's freshly made bed. She knew that she could have stayed in her room and let Izuku be alone with his thoughts. But that wasn't how they did things. Whenever they trained, they were together, whenever they studied, they were either in her room or Izuku's. They found that sharing their ideas and studying together was much more effective than studying alone. Two heads were better than one right?

But no matter how hard she tried; she simply couldn't focus on the material in front of her. She kept trailing off and losing her spot, the sight of Izuku's terror and pained face constantly flashed into her mind. She was so close to losing him. The most wonderful person she had ever met almost slipped through her fingers. She knew that the hero profession was wrought with danger and strife, but the events today made it real.

Not only was Izuku threatened by his own quirk, but she had almost been kidnapped that morning as well. The sinister face of the villain this morning still made her shudder. His cracked pale skin, his malicious grin, and his blood red eyes. So filled with hatred and anger. Ochako had never seen someone like that. She didn't even know a person was capable of having that much pure hatred within themselves.

"Hey, Uraraka? You okay?"

The world around her snapped back into focus at the familiar voice. She glanced up, Izuku's book was closed and he was turned toward her, a worried look in his eyes. "You were uhh… staring right through your book." He pointed toward the biology book resting on his bed in front of her. Which had somehow turned to a random page she didn't remember seeing. Sighing, Ochako quickly closed her study material, she wasn't going to get anything done today, not with everything that was on her mind.

"I keep thinking about what happened this morning. That Tomura guy… what if he attacks us again?" The idea of a villain invading their home and taking her away in the middle of the night was terrifying. If he found her on the roof, then he likely knew where they lived. Izuku held his chin in thought.

"Well, if you think about it, this Tomura guy found you on the roof. So it's likely that he already knows what room we live in. The only ways he could get in are from the door and the sliding window in the living room. We would have to keep those locked at all times. But what if his quirk can melt right through them? I-"

"Deku! Please… stop." Ochako didn't want to hear any more. She knew he didn't mean it, he was accidentally muttering his thoughts aloud again. But that still didn't make it any easier to hear. The one place she had found solace in the storm her life had become was no longer secure. People were still after her and she would likely never be safe. All because of her damned quirk. Izuku paled, rubbing his neck in shame.

"I'm so sorry Uraraka. I didn't mean to and that was insensitive and I didn-"

"It's fine Deku, really! It's just… hard for me." Ochako interrupted again. Izuku leveled his gaze with her, a look of seriousness in his eyes.

"Uraraka, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. As long as I'm here, that villain won't touch you. I promise." Izuku sounded more serious than she had ever heard. It honestly surprised her. The usually shy, timid boy was fierce and determined. She had seen it a few times during their cleanup, but never like this. She didn't know what to say, how could she respond to such a devoted statement?

"T-Thanks Deku. That means a lot."

They heard a light knock on the front door. Both teens stood up and moved to the living room. Izuku answered the door, after checking the peephole to make sure it was safe, he let Toshinori into their home. He was in his withered form once again. It made it easier to travel when everyone around him didn't recognize him as the symbol of peace. While he was like this, people ignored and almost avoided him. Not that he minded, it allowed him to actually do domestic things like shopping without much effort.

"Greetings Young Midoriya, Uraraka." The blonde hero nodded to both of them. Ochako wasted no time in confronting him. She stormed toward him and took an aggressive stance.

"Did you know that was going to happen!?" She accused angrily. Toshinori and Izuku stood a cautious step back, surprised at the sudden anger in the girl. The glared into Toshinori's eyes, who seemed completely taken aback at her accusation.

"I… I'm sorry, but I don't kno-"

"Deku nearly died!" Ochako interrupted, anger welling up inside her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, Izuku shook his head.

"It's okay Ochako. I don't think he expected such a bad reaction." Izuku consoled her, he wanted to diffuse the situation before anyone came to blows. Toshinori overcame his initial shock and looked over Izuku, frantically searching for any wounds.

"What happened? Are you okay? I'm sorry if the transition wasn't seamless, I had no idea how it would react to your body." Toshinori apologized, Izuku flushed at the sudden attention.

"I'm alright Toshinori, Ochako was with me. I'm okay now." Toshinori took a step back, sighing in relief. "But the transfer of power was bad. It hurt so much, and my body was completely out of control. I was having seizures and by body felt like it was tearing itself apart." It hurt to recall such painful memories, but Izuku pressed on, Toshinori needed to know.

"I'm so sorry young man. I never intended for that to happen. One for All is completely different in each user. I had no way of knowing what it would do to you. But that's no excuse, and I'm sorry." Toshinori hung his head in shame. He should have taken more precautions; he should have been more cautious when giving Izuku the quirk. Instead of just expecting that everything would be okay. Izuku's body was nowhere near as physically adept as his when he received the quirk, it was no wonder the transfer took a toll on his body.

"It's okay Toshinori, really! I'm okay now! But there is something else that happened as well…"

"Something else?"

"I had a dream, or some kind of vision. I'm not sure what it was…" They took a seat on his sofa and Izuku explained everything that happened in his dream. Both Toshinori and Ochako were silent throughout, letting him explain in all the detail he could recall. Toshinori hummed in thought.

"Nana appeared and spoke to you directly? That's amazing! I wish you could have really gotten to know her. She was such an amazing person! But I am much more concerned with what she said to you. All for One is still out there? I thought I killed him years ago." Toshinori had a worried look on his face. If All for One was still out there, then he was unchecked for five years, who knows what he was doing in that time. He needed to send out feelers immediately, he needed to pick up the man's trail before he gained all of his strength back.

Typically, one would call it unwise to trust the words of someone in a dream. Something that was a figment of Izuku's mind. But Toshinori knew better. This wasn't just some dream; this was the embodiment of One for All itself. Every user leaves a mark on the quirk and stays with it forever. Even he had seen the visions and shadows from time to time. But even then, they had never really addressed him directly like Izuku was telling him. Something big was happening.

"They told you that their quirks were yours? I wonder what that means?" Ochako questioned. Toshinori nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I've never heard of this happening before. Perhaps you will inherit the quirks of the previous holders?" Izuku's eyes furrowed in thought. That wasn't possible right? It would take too much of a toll on someone's body to have a bunch of different quirks at once. There was no way he could handle six or seven quirks!

"But Toshinori, is it even possible to have that many quirks? I've heard of people having two, but that's pretty much the limit, right?" The blonde shook his head.

"Usually, but All for One's quirk allows him to take other people's quirks and use them as his own. He is the only one known to have this power. I thought I killed him five years ago. He's the one who really gave me this grave injury." Toshinori gestured to his abdomen before continuing. "I'm concerned about something else she said. She told you the balance was changed? That something has broken the constant stalemate that the symbols of peace and evil have been in for so long?" Izuku nodded in affirmation. "Well then… either All for One has found a successor after all this time, or we have finally gained the upper hand somehow."

"Wait, you mean that All for One has been the same person all this time? How is that even possible?"

"Well, he likely has some kind of quirk that prevents aging. Many holders of One for All have died by his hand, but we have all managed to find a successor before that. It's been a constant cycle for generations. One for All grows in strength, tries to stop All for One, and dies in the process. Only for the next generation to come with an even more powerful version of the quirk to fight him. He has grown in strength and power to match One for All. He would be nearly unstoppable at this point. But our last fight left him severely wounded, he was thought dead… But if he somehow found a successor, then it could be bad for us." Izuku was concentrating intently on everything Toshinori was saying. He was inheriting his burden, so he had to know everything about the symbol of evil.

"How could he transfer it. Is it like One for All?"

"No. One for All stemmed from a stockpiling and a transferring quirk his brother had. He doesn't have the ability to just give the quirk to someone. The only real option is genetics, but I don't know of any children he could possibly have." Izuku nodded, taking mental notes and committing them to memory. Ochako seemed distant, lost in thought. She had been sitting there silently, taking in all the sudden information.

"Now, I don't want you to worry about all of that. I can handle it. You two have important things to focus on. I have an announcement for both of you." Izuku and Ochako both snapped to attention, ready for whatever Toshinori had in store for them. "I was in contact with a few heroes and I've managed to get them to agree to train the both of you." Both teen's faces broke into wide smiles at the news. Before Izuku could mumble about the hero possibilities, Toshinori stopped him. "My old master, Gran Torino will help you with One for All. He is one of the few who know about it. Gunhead has agreed to teach the both of you some fundamental martial arts. He is known for having an incredibly effective fighting style which I'm sure will serve you well. I also managed to get Hawks to spare some time for you two. He is currently the number three hero on the leaderboards, he is incredibly busy, but he found some time for you two. Hawks is one of the best fighters I've ever seen, and he will be an incredible teacher."

Izuku was physically bouncing with excitement, unable to contain it any longer. He was going to meet more pro heroes! Aside from All Might, Hawks was one of his favorites. He always admired Hawks' calm and laid-back attitude even when fighting villains. His speed and intellect allowed him to dominate opponents who were much stronger than him physically.

But Hawks' was number three on the pro hero leaderboard. He was constantly out fighting villains and stopping crime. What if someone needed him and he was busy training him and Ochako?

"Wait! What about their hero work? Aren't Hawks and Gunhead busy heroes? We'd be taking them away from the front lines!" Izuku exclaimed, Ochako nodded her head in agreement. As much as they wanted training, they couldn't take hard working heroes who saved countless people away. Even for a short time. Toshinori only smiled at them.

"You don't have to worry about that. I pulled some favors. They will be dedicating some of their hero shifts to training you two. Edgeshot agreed to take any shifts for Hawks and Rock Lock is doing the same for Gunhead. They will only be able to train you a few days a week. So, they'll be giving you fundamentals and things to practice on your own as well." Toshinori finished. Izuku began to tear up again.

"Toshinori I… I don't know what to say! Thank you so much! You've done so much for us! I don't know how to ever repay you!" Toshinori chuckled and shook his head. Izuku never was used to receiving things out of the goodwill of other people.

"The best way you can repay me is by trying your hardest. You've been through hell to get to this point, but it only gets tougher from here. The life of a hero is wrought with danger and hardship. But you both are strong enough for it." Toshinori leaned in and wrapped both teens into a large hug. Izuku immediately broke down crying. Ochako leaned into the scrawny man's embrace, not nearly as outwardly emotional as Izuku. "I'm so proud of you both. You've come so far in seven months. I can't wait to see what the two of you accomplish together."

* * *

Shigaraki stepped back into the dark bar with a sigh. Recruiting villains was tedious work. Not many of them really put up any resistance or denied him, but there were so many applicants that all their faces started looking the same. He had set up a meeting point for all them when it was time for the invasion so Kurogiri could easily teleport them, but that wouldn't be for another few months at least. The recruiting in itself wasn't all that bad. He showed up, told them where to be and left.

No, the real cause of his frustration was the blonde girl currently skipping into the bar next to him. Shigaraki had taken Sensei's advice and decided to start recruiting some of his special dossiers. They were a little tougher than the average grunt to recruit. They actually had ideals and specific skill sets. They were more essential pieces on their game board than the pawns he was used to dealing with.

Dabi, the man with the patchwork face and fire quirk, was relatively easy to recruit. He didn't need much convincing to join the league. The large blonde man currently sitting at the bar, who only introduced himself as Muscular, didn't need convincing either. Jumping at the opportunity to kill a bunch of students from U.A.

Now for the annoying girl who was literally skipping around the bar. Himiko Toga. She was an interesting case. Her quirk was incredibly useful to them. The ability to turn into whoever she wanted with just a hint of blood was invaluable. If she learned that person's mannerisms, she could imitate them perfectly. He already had a plan in motion for her, she would be an instrumental part of their attack on U.A.

If only she wasn't so fucking annoying.

"Hmm." She stopped skipping next to muscular and poked his bicep experimentally. "I don't think so. Your blood would taste too bitter and strong. I like my prey sweeter." She grinned, her sharp canines glinting in the dim light. The blonde man regarded her with wide eyes for a moment, before shaking his head and focusing on his drink once again.

"Nope. Not messing with that one." He muttered. Himiko giggled and skipped toward Dabi, who was leaning against the wall, intently watching everyone around him. Himiko moved around the man, inspecting him from head to toe. Dabi continued staring ahead, focusing on nothing at the end of the room. Himiko shook her head dissaprovingly.

"Nope! This one won't do either!" The blonde girl turned toward Shigaraki, who was now sitting in his favorite spot at the end of the bar. "What gives Shi?" He growled in frustration at the nickname. "You said I'd have plenty of blood to feed on! But these guys are way too old and bitter for me!" Himiko pouted. This was not what she signed up for. She was told that she would be given some sweet heroes in training from U.A! Her mouth salivated at the thought of drinking the blood of young heroes. Theirs was always the sweetest.

"These guys are your allies Toga. If you touch them, I'll kill you myself." The girl crossed her arms and glanced at the other people in the room. She wasn't sure about working with people. She was a lone wolf; she had always been that way. Ever since her parents kicked her out for having a 'villainous' quirk.

When she was little, she tried so hard to suppress her urges. Her thirst for blood only grew stronger as she aged. At first, it was easy to ignore and control, only getting a slight pang of thirst once in a while. But when she was ten, she cut the arm of a boy with a fountain pen in school. Drinking her fill until her classmates stopped her and pulled her away. The police forgave her, as she had never committed any crimes before, but her parents never did. After that day, her parents shut her out, refusing to even talk to the girl. One day, she woke up and all of her stuff was packed up and on the front yard.

"_I refuse to have a villain living under my roof"_

Those were the only words her father said to her before throwing her out. She lived on the streets since then, only surviving by quickly learning to fight and use her quirk to her advantage. It was amazing what you could get away with if you had an impersonation quirk. She was able to rob people blind more easily than anyone else she knew. The street gangs always sought her out, but she always refused. Some had even tried to kidnap her in order to force her to join them. They quickly regretted that decision as most of them ended up dead.

Now here she was, proving her parents right by joining an organization called the League of Villains. Not that she had much of a choice anyway. Tomura helped her out of a hopeless situation. She was captured by a gang who had her in their sights for years. She had barely managed to elude them, until they tracked her to her apartment and kidnapped her. Tomura found her in a warehouse bound and gagged, ready to be shipped off to god knows where. Of course, she was going to do anything he asked. But she could tell from the look in his eye that he would kill her if she refused him anyway.

"But, I do have a mission for you Toga." Her eyes perked up with excitement. "The U.A entrance exam is going to take place in a few months. I need you to infiltrate it as one of the observing staff members. Look for someone who is guaranteed to make it in and we'll plan our next move." Himiko bounced with excitement. She always wanted to go to the U.A campus, but their automated defenses were some of the best in the country. It would a challenge to get in.

"In the meantime, I need all of you to head out and keep recruiting cannon fodder for our invasion. We still need people, and I'm sure as hell not doing it all by myself." Tomura ignored her animated reaction and focused on the pristine surface of the bar.

'Soon. All the world will know how weak the hero community really is. They'll know how weak All Might is.' He turned his attention to the television, which was turned to the news covering yet another captured villain.

'Soon, the world will turn on them. The _wonderful _heroes of the world will be exposed for what they really are.'

* * *

So, this chapter wasn't planned at all. I originally intended for this to be the training chapter before their entrance exam, but this idea popped into my head and I decided to go for it. It ended up being it's own chapter so here you go!

Please leave a review and let me know how I'm doing!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Training_

"All right, I want you to punch the ocean."

Izuku did a double take at the man's statement, Ochako in a similar state of shock. They were standing on the recently cleaned Dagobah beach, merely hours after Izuku's rough acquisition of One for All. Izuku and Ochako were both clad in heavy hoodies, hoping to stave off the winter chill. They were joined by Recovery Girl, the youthful heroine. All Might personally requested that she oversee Izuku's first use of his quirk. Although her appearance directly contradicted that title. Izuku was surprised to find that she was one of the few others to know about All Might's secret.

"Umm… isn't this a bit much All Might?" Toshinori laughed at Izuku's exasperation.

"Don't worry Young Midoriya, I have faith in you. All you have to do, is pull your fist back, grit your teeth, and unleash all of your energy into one punch." Toshinori suddenly puffed into smoke, emerging as his buff hero form. "LIKE THIS!" The hero clenched his hand into a tight fist, aiming a massive punch at the calm waters of the ocean.

"SMASH!"

A concussive wind and massive thunderclap knocked everyone onto their back, the sheer force of the blow displacing the air around them. Izuku quickly overcame his shock, helping Ochako up and rising to his feet once again. His jaw dropped as he looked upon the ocean again. It looked like someone had just parted the entire ocean, a massive trench of water stretched as far as the eye could see.

"Wow…" He heard Ochako breathlessly utter. He couldn't help but agree with her. This was unreal, he knew All Might was powerful, but this was a whole different level of strength. He didn't think strength like this was even possible, and he didn't even touch it! He could faintly make out the sound of All Might's laughter as the water quickly crashed back into the massive empty space, spraying the beach with a light mist.

All Might turned to his awestruck students. "NOW, YOUNG MIDORIYA, YOU GIVE IT A SHOT" He sent another one of his dazzling smiles to the green haired boy. How could he possibly do something like that?

"B-but, you didn't even touch the water! How is that even possible!?"

"Ah yes, One for All is powerful enough that the air pressure and shockwaves of your blows are immensely powerful. I typically don't directly strike villains in fights; the blows would probably kill them." Izuku's face paled. One for All was that powerful? He could accidentally kill people if he wasn't incredibly careful?

"Okay… I'll give it a try." Izuku's face showcased pure determination. He wasn't going to let All Might down. Cocking his fist back, Izuku prepared the hardest punch he could muster. Letting out a loud scream, he punched the air as hard as he could, bracing himself for the shockwave that was to come.

Nothing happened.

"Huh?" Izuku looked back and forth from his fist, to the lapping waters of the ocean. Quickly growing discouraged, Izuku's brain desperately searched for an explanation. Why didn't it work? Did the transfer fail? Was he still quirkless? As dread filled him at the possibility, All Might stepped forward.

"YOU CANNOT JUST PUNCH AND EXPECT IT TO WORK! YOU HAVE TO _FEEL_ IT!" Izuku regarded the hero with wide eyes. Could it really be that simple? Just try to draw the power out of him and let it flow? But he couldn't feel anything different about himself! No mysterious power dwelling within, no tingling or burning that he felt earlier. He felt completely normal!

"Could it really be that simple All Might?" Izuku clenched his fist, trying to dig deep within himself.

"YOU MUST DIG DEEP. YOUR POWER IS THERE, BUT YOU HAVE TO FIND IT FIRST! ONCE YOU RECOGNIZE AND DRAW FROM IT, IT WILL BECOME LIKE SECOND NATURE." All Might gave his student an encouraging thumbs up. Izuku nodded, turning toward the water again with renewed determination. Closing his eyes, Izuku searched within himself, clearing his mind and focusing heavily. The world fell to black around him, the soft waves of the ocean silenced, the chill of the November air dulled to nothing on his skin. He focused only on his breathing, and feeling for something, anything that could resemble his quirk. He lost all feeling in his body as his mind succumbed to its subconscious.

He felt a slight tug, a foreign feeling he couldn't describe. Somewhere in between a soft warmth and a tingling electricity. He felt whispers, coaxing and drawing him further toward the strange energy. He reached, trying to pull the strings and bring the mysterious power closer to him. Closer… closer… closer.

A bright light burst to life in front of him. He immediately grabbed hold of it and drew it out of the darkness. The energy, suddenly very obvious and known to him, spread throughout his body. Instead of the searing pain and agony he felt before, he felt his body physically buzzing with power, ready to explode in an instant.

A surprised gasp from behind him snapped Izuku back into reality. All of his senses came back to him in an instant. His eyes widened when he got a good look at his right arm. It was glowing, along with streaks of red that snaked up and down like veins of pure power. Joy filled his heart. He did it! He was using a quirk! His burst of happiness caused him to briefly lose control of his newfound power. The flow in his arm faltered for a bit, Izuku barely managed to regain control of it before it slipped from him entirely. Now that it was here, something that he could tangibly feel, he was sure it would be much easier to call upon in the future.

_All you have to do is pull your fist back, grit your teeth, and unleash all of your energy into one punch._

Izuku's eyes hardened with determination, as he pulled his fist back, he focused on the vast body of water in front of him. Focusing his energy, he pushed all of the energy in his body into his right arm for a single devastating blow.

'I can do this! I'll just push all of the energy into my arm at once!'

"SMAAAASH!" Izuku screamed, throwing his fist forward as hard as he could. A tremendous wave of force slammed into him; he heard a sickeningly loud snap. Violent stabs of pain assaulted him as he was sent hurtling through the air at breakneck speed. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Ochako's horrified scream.

* * *

Ochako screamed in horror as Izuku's limp body was sent flying across the beach from the enormous shockwave he produced. His body flew straight into her, the force of the hit painfully knocked her into the sand. As much as the soft ground cushioned her fall, it still hurt like hell. Ochako shook the dizziness from herself and stumbled to her feet, looking for the familiar head of messy green hair.

"Deku!" She exclaimed as she spotted him, he was lying on his back at the end of the beach. She took off sprinting toward Izuku's broken form, All Might and Recovery Girl following close behind her.

"CHIYO!"

"I'm on it!"

The three crossed the distance in a matter of seconds. Ochako collapsed onto her knees next to Izuku, feeling a knot of fear and dread at the sight. His right arm was twisted gruesomely, the entire limb colored black and blue. All Might skidded to a stop next to her, standing at the base of Izuku's feet, looking the young boy over with worry. Izuku's eyes fluttered open just as Recovery Girl stood over his arm.

"W-What?" Izuku muttered in confusion, upon seeing his mutilated arm, he let his head fall back onto the sand.

"Oh…" Izuku's soft features twisted in discomfort, his brain temporarily blocking the pain receptors in his damaged limb. Ochako tightly gripped onto Izuku's left hand, hoping to offer him some kind of comfort.

"You're gonna be alright Deku…" Recovery Girl looked at his arm for a moment, poking it experimentally. Izuku flinched in pain.

"Hmm. There is a lot of internal damage, but I can help fix it." Ochako glared angrily at her.

"Then why are you just standing there? Help him!"

"Patience young lady. I'll heal your boyfriend."

"He's not-"

"Give me a moment." The elder woman cut her off and leaned toward Izuku's bloodied arm. Ochako glared at her, frustration, worry, and embarrassment clouding her mind. Recovery Girl stood straight once again after giving his arm a long kiss. Nothing happened for a few moments. Ochako was about to demand what her problem was when Izuku's hand tightened around hers.

"Deku?" Izuku writhed in discomfort for a moment, before his arm began setting itself, the black and blue bruising fading back to its normal pale skin color. In a few moments, it was over, Izuku's arm looked as good as new, although the skin seemed slightly scuffed and stretched. Izuku slowly sat up in the sand, Ochako let go of his hand as soon as she was sure he was okay. He lifted his arm, flexing and testing its functionality. He looked at the elderly woman in amazement.

"Wow! Your healing is amazing Recovery Girl!" Izuku's eyes were wide.

"Yes, yes. Your stamina will be drained, here's some gummies." The woman smiled sincerely and dropped some multicolored gummies into Izuku's hand. Popping them into his mouth, Izuku felt his strength returning.

"Thank you so much!" Izuku nodded in thanks to the heroine. She nodded back, retuning a serious frown.

"It's no problem. But you need to get that quirk of yours under control. I don't like repeat patients." Izuku nodded, feeling within himself again. The power that was once hidden stuck out as clear as day now. He drew slightly from it, feeling the familiar buzz of power run through him again. Veins of red energy displayed on his exposed skin, displaying the activation of his quirk.

Letting out a calming breath, the veins of power disappeared from his arm. In all honesty, he was ecstatic. The use of his quirk cemented the fact that he finally had a quirk. The reality of the situation finally hit him as he regained his bearings. He was no longer quirkless. The label stapled to him since that day over ten years ago was finally torn away. The days of being treated like a second-class citizen were behind him.

All Might nodded in agreement with Recovery Girl's statement. "I'M SO SORRY YOUNG MIDORIYA. I HAD NO IDEA THAT ONE FOR ALL WOULD HAVE SUCH AN ADVERSE REACTION IN YOUR BODY. IT SEEMS YOU MUST LEARN TO MASTER A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF YOUR STRENGTH TO AVOID YOUR BODY COLLAPSING ON YOU…"

Izuku frowned at the thought. This isn't at all what he expected when he received One for All. Most quirks had physical drawbacks to them. Such as Ochako's gravity manipulation caused her lightheadedness and queasiness. But he never knew of a quirk that had such a violent backlash. What use was he if he destroyed his body whenever he tried to use his quirk? How could he save people if he was broken from dealing one hit to the villains?

"I'm going to figure this out All Might. I have to find a way to control my quirk. Otherwise, how can I be a hero? If I'm the one who is going to need saving after one hit?" All Might smiled at his student's determination.

This kid was something else.

* * *

Ochako hit the mat hard again, the air being forced out of her lungs as the large man above her locked her in a hold, preventing her from moving. After a few seconds, he released her, allowing her to catch her breath and rise to her feet once again.

"You did better that time Uraraka, but a villain isn't going to wait for you to think about your actions, you have to be able to move without thinking." The spiky haired man politely told her. The hero training them, teaching them martial art forms and fighting styles, was non other then Gunhead. The large man's face was covered by a white mask with four holes in square formation, resembling gun muzzles. He sported large gauntlets that were shaped like revolver chambers on his arms. He was a broad, muscular man with spiky, mint colored hair that stuck out wildly behind his mask. His outward appearance was intimidating, but after training with him for a few weeks, she discovered that he was actually a very gentle, kind man. She even thought he was a little silly at times.

He turned toward the green haired boy next to her, who was already taking a defensive stance he learned. He was wearing a pair of black gym shorts and a green shirt, allowing for extended movement. Ochako was wearing something similar, only with a pink shirt instead. "Same goes for you Midoriya, lets see what you can do!"

With that, Gunhead launched forward at blinding speed. Izuku narrowly dodged a roundhouse kick, ducking and retaining his balance. Gunhead didn't relent, sending calculated punches, kicks, jabs, and leg sweeps toward Izuku. The teen was constantly kept on the defensive as the hero constantly threw attack after attack his way, not allowing him a moment to breathe.

Ochako smiled, proud at how far both of them had come. When they arrived for the first time a few weeks ago, they found themselves pinned to the training mats over and over again. Unable to compete against Gunhead's superior martial arts style. While Gunhead was a large man, his martial arts style was focused around speed and mobility, focusing on pinning an opponent and using their own weight against them, rather than using brute strength to overpower your opponent.

Since they started, she and Izuku learned several offensive and defensive stances, as well as various techniques and counters. Typically, she and Izuku would learn a variety of techniques from Gunhead, then spar on their own with each other after school. Sometimes she won, other times Izuku got the best of her. But each time was more intense than the last, the fights growing in speed and fluency. Looking more like an elegant dance than a fight. They learned from each spar, specific counters, faints, and techniques. Even coming up with some of their own moves in an attempt to gain the upper hand on the other. She found ways to implement her gravity manipulation into her fighting style, although it was still very tough to control. She returned her attention to the fight in front of her.

Izuku remained on the defensive in his spar with Gunhead, swiftly blocking and dodging every blow the hero threw at him. Patiently searching for an opening, Izuku continued to jump and dodge swift kicks and jabs.

Gunhead was incredibly impressed with the progress they made over the last few weeks. Far surpassing anyone else he taught in both talent and drive. He had never seen anyone as motivated as them. Quickly advancing through the basics in a few days and advancing faster than he had seen anyone do before. He was immensely proud of both of them, their drive was incredible and inspiring. He could immediately tell that they were on the road to becoming great heroes.

They continued like this for a while, neither party gaining either ground in the fight. Gunhead only able to get light strikes in, and Izuku unable to go on the offensive. Sweat dripping from his brow, Izuku struggled to control his breathing as he narrowly avoided Gunhead's relentless assault.

Left Jab. _Block_

Right Punch. _Block_

High Kick. _Duck_

Left Hook. _Dodge l-_

_Wait_

He sees a slight shift in his opponent's balance, a very subtle change that one would hardly notice. Predicting the feint, Izuku dodged right, successfully avoiding a right hook sent by the larger man. He smirked at the older hero's surprise. Taking advantage, Izuku gripped Gunhead's arm and pulled him over his shoulder with all his strength.

After One for All manifested in his body, he found that he could lift nearly anything without much difficulty. His strength had increased tremendously since obtaining All Might's power. While his physical body hadn't bulked up that much, his muscle density increased dramatically. Being much faster and stronger was a shock to him, but he eventually adjusted to it. After a few shattered water glasses at least.

Izuku let out a yell of effort, using Gunhead's momentum and his own strength to flip him over his shoulder and onto the training mats. With a loud thud, the man collided hard on his back. Wasting no time, Izuku flipped him over and twisted his arm uncomfortably around his back, while also putting pressure on specific points on his body to keep him immobilized. Just how he was taught. After a few seconds of struggling, Gunhead let out a slight nod.

"Release! You've won!" Gunhead said slightly too happily. Izuku smiled widely, releasing the man and quickly offering him a hand. The hero took Izuku's sign of good will and took his hand, rising to his feet once again. Ochako bounded excitedly toward him, pumping a fist in victory.

"Way to go Deku! That was awesome!" Ochako exclaimed happily as they bumped their fists together in celebration. Gunhead had only been taken down once before. When Ochako managed to use her quirk to flip their gravity and reverse a hold he had on her, allowing her to pin him to the mats before he could recover. He hadn't ever bested the hero yet. He supposed he could have used One for All, but he still had very little control over it in the past few weeks, focusing more on his martial arts and hand to hand combat than quirk control.

"Thanks, Uraraka! I suppose I got lucky with that one…" Izuku rubbed his neck in embarrassment.

"Nonsense Midoriya!" Izuku whipped his head around in surprise. Gunhead had his arms across his chest, puffing with pride. "You kept up with me that whole fight! The way you saw through that faint was amazing and the counter was brilliant! You've earned this victory!" Izuku smiled, his heart swelling with pride. He felt a light hand rest on his shoulder.

"He's right Deku. You looked great out there!" Izuku's face suddenly turned a scarlet red at the implications of her statement. Ochako suddenly jumped several feet away from him.

"I-I-I didn't mean it like that! Umm… I meant… your _fighting style_ looked great! Yeah! The way you fought him was awesome!" Ochako fanned her flaming hot cheeks, looking anywhere but Izuku's equally flustered features.

'Why did I say that? It's so obvious! What was I thinking! Oh my god! He must think I'm a creep now!' Ochako's brain went into overdrive. Ever since she recognized her feelings for Izuku, she tried desperately to push them down and keep them away. Consciously thinking about everything she did and said around him as to not give away her feelings. However, constantly thinking about it made it infinitely worse, and almost always led to her saying something stupid and revealing.

Like right now.

"I-It's o-okay Uraraka! I think you look great when you fight too!" Izuku waved his hands in front of his face, not wanting Ochako to feel left out on her feelings. He couldn't help but admit to himself that Ochako was… attractive when she was fighting. The fierceness and total concentration she displayed was amazing. Plus, the way she could maneuver during some of her techniques was jaw dropping.

Then it clicked.

"OH NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I-"

Gunhead simply laughed at their misery.

"Ahh… young love! It's so beautiful!"

The two promptly fainted.

* * *

"Okay kid. Activate your quirk again. Let's see how well you can control it." A short, elderly man nodded toward him. His name was Sorahiko Torino, better known as Gran Torino. An elder hero long past his glory days. He was wearing a white suit along with a yellow cape, boots and gloves, and a black mask that covered his eyes. When Izuku met him a few hours ago, he seemed like nothing more than a senile old man. Constantly forgetting his name and calling him Toshinori.

It was all a façade of course. Gran Torino was an incredibly intelligent old man, observing Izuku's every move and asking various questions about his quirk. Izuku hadn't been training with it very much since the day he received it, trying to avoid gravely injuring himself again. So far, he learned that he could focus all of the power into one of his limbs at a time. He practiced moving the energy throughout his body, trying to become more acclimated with his newfound power.

He still couldn't use his quirk at all. Even after having it for the past month, he knew that it was still too much for him. He had absolutely no control over how much power he was outputting. It was all or nothing.

Izuku nodded back to the man, taking in his surroundings. They were standing in Gran Torino's home. A relatively small place that didn't look like it would belong to a hero. Heroes made royalties off the merchandising, agency deals, and payment for taking down villains and stopping crimes. Most of them lived in upscale neighborhoods, far away from the slums of the city. Being the cold month of December, Izuku was happy that they were training indoors. But he was expecting something more like Gunhead's martial arts training. Whom they had just finished training with only a week ago.

Izuku focused within himself, drawing on the familiar power deep within him. Quickly finding and drawing from it, Izuku opened his eyes, One for All now visibly displayed on his skin, but only on one of his arms. The elder hero hummed in thought.

"So… you still can't use it at less than 100%? And only on one body part?" He mused. Izuku nodded, focusing on the burning energy coursing through him, shifting the strength from his right arm to his left. He had gotten quite good at shifting the power from one limb to another relatively quickly. He was sure he could use it in a fight if it was needed. But he couldn't risk that. Not if he was just going to break himself again.

"I have to get stronger. I have to learn how to control this quickly. But I just don't know what to do…" The older man nodded in agreement, seeming to come to some kind of conclusion.

"Yes, you're right. You do need to get stronger quickly. Villains won't wait for you, and neither will your fellow students." Izuku closed his eyes in concentration, unable to force the energy in his arm to lessen to a manageable degree. "What does the power feel like?"

Izuku quirked an eyebrow, what did it feel like? What was that supposed to mean?

"Umm. Kind of like a whoosh! Or a static heat? I'm not sure…" Izuku trailed off, not really sure where the hero was going with this.

"So you feel a heat in your arm right? Like a pressure of power, waiting to be unleased?" Izuku nodded. "Well… try spreading that heat throughout your entire body. Stop trying so hard to contain it, and let it just wash over you, taking over every part of your body, down to each and every muscle fiber." The green haired boy furrowed his brow. Could it really be that easy? Just spread the power evenly throughout his body? Focusing on holding on to his power, Izuku tried to relax.

Izuku gave up on trying to control where the power in his body went, just allowing it to roam freely throughout his body. To his surprise, the static heat in his arm slowly drifted to his chest, then his left arm and legs, until his whole body felt like it was buzzing with power. Much like when he first received the quirk, excruciating pain rocketed throughout his body. Izuku fell to his knees, about to let go of his quirk. His eyes were glowing brightly, green lightning covered his entire body and the area around him.

"You're using too much power! Much more than your body can handle! Let go of your quirk slightly, you don't need to draw everything out at once!" Izuku barely heard the words of Torino, focusing solely on controlling his power. Taking the elder man's advice, he released the mental death grip he held on his quirk, allowing it to slip away slightly. Izuku pictured holding a handful of water, separating his fingertips and allowing a bit of it to pass through and escape him. The pain lessened considerably. Izuku released slightly more of his quirk until he was able to stand on his own again. He stared at his fists, feeling power surge through his body like never before.

"Good! Good! There you go! That's it!" Gran Torino praised animatedly. Izuku clenched his teeth, struggling to hold on to his quirk. It ached in all of his muscles, taking all of his concentration to keep the energy flowing throughout his body.

'It hurts! But I have to focus! I'm never going to be a hero if I work as hard as I possibly can! I have to keep pushing harder!' He breathed deeply and heavily, attempting to keep himself calm. Sweat covered his body as he exerted all of his energy on focus and concentration. A few seconds later, he felt his quirk slip away from him. With an audible snap, the aura of electricity and glow of his skin faded.

Izuku fell to his knees, lacking the strength to stand any longer. He breathed heavily, catching his breath. His whole body felt like it was on fire. He clenched his eyes shut in frustration.

'I couldn't do it! I still can't control it!' He heard light footsteps approaching him. He recognized Torino's yellow boots stop next to him as he was lifted back onto his feet. The elder man brushed him off and looked him dead in the eyes.

"You did great kid. While you can't use it without heavy concentration, the only way you're going to get better is if you keep at it. You want to be a hero, right? You want to protect those you love?" Izuku nodded his head fiercely. "Then you have to push yourself. Get up off the ground, dust the dirt off, and try again. Even if your body wants to fail, you have to go beyond!" Izuku nodded, determination renewing in his eyes.

Stepping back from the hero, Izuku activated his quirk again, faint red lines appeared on his skin, before disappearing into an even glow across his body, green sparks snapping around him once again. Torino watched him as he held on to his quirk for as long as possible, before losing focus and collapsing. Over and over, Izuku repeated this process, his eyes becoming more determined after each failure.

'You did good Toshinori. You did good.'

* * *

Ochako leapt off the hotel roof quickly tapping herself and activating her quirk. Shifting her gravity slightly, her jump easily cleared the street below. She landed with a clean roll, hearing Izuku's feet hit the roof at the same time. She quickly broke into another sprint, getting across the rooftop as quickly as possible. The cold air numbed their faces, their constant running the only thing keeping them from freezing. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, neither teen slowed nor tripped, weeks of parkour training from Gran Torino paying off. Their matching grey hoodies whipped violently from the wind pressure.

They spent the last few weeks with the elder hero practicing mobility and movement. Specifically, traversing environments and outmaneuvering their opponents. Izuku focused on controlling One for All across his entire body all at once. He called it his Full Cowling form. After he was able to sustain it for several minutes at a time, he took to practicing parkour and agility training with Ochako.

While using his quirk, Izuku was much faster and stronger than normal. Able to jump far higher than any human and was able to easily outrun anyone without a speed quirk. While he wasn't yet able to use more than 5% of his power, the boost to his physical abilities was still palpable. He began to implement it into their spars recently as well, often catching Ochako off guard with his sudden increase in speed.

He leapt onto a building several stories taller than them with a grunt of effort, shaking the building below them. Not wanting to be outdone, Ochako quickly activated her quirk on herself and jumped. Reversing her gravity, Ochako essentially fell upwards, catching up to her friend and landing on the rooftop with him. Pushing the familiar queasiness down, she sent a competitive smirk his way, fuzzy and warm feelings blooming in her heart when he returned it.

He quickly sprinted ahead of her, pushing his own limits as well as hers. She recovered from her landing and ran after him, relishing in the exhausted cries of her legs. Free running like this was one of her favorite activities. The feeling of freedom and physical exertion was wonderful. At first, the protest in her legs and lungs made her hate it. But she quickly found pleasure in the exhaustion, pushing herself past her limits. She was always filled with satisfaction and joy whenever she was able to run longer than before. Setting a new record time, or making an extra long jump, or simply going longer before passing out from exhaustion. She knew she was getting stronger, and that was the most wonderful thing in the world to her.

Not to mention the company she was in. Izuku always ran with her. Both teens had a habit of waking up before the sun broke the horizon. Old habits from Toshinori's American Dream Plan. Eating and dressing in running cloths before setting out on a run across town together. At first, they only went a few blocks away, jumping from roof to roof and not pushing themselves too hard. But day after day, their morning run got longer and longer, before they ended up running across town and back before school started. Typically, the first thing they would do is drop their things off in class, travelling on the rooftops with their school bags. The school never locked the roof door, so they were able to place their bags in their homeroom and head back out.

They were always exhausted and out of breath by the time they returned to school. But they were getting faster, running their route and arriving earlier to class every week. The effects their runs were having on her were tremendous. Not only was her stamina increasing dramatically, but her agility and quirk use was getting better as well. Constantly manipulating her gravity to jump from roof to roof was exhausting and taxing on her. She often felt sick in the middle of their runs, but she refused to stop. Even if Izuku offered to rest with her. She refused to give it anything but her all.

Because that's what Izuku did.

She saw him constantly concentrating on his quirk. Meditating in his room or watching him activate and hold his quirk for as long as possible. He was making great strides of progress when it came to his quirk. He also practiced his martial arts skills whenever he had the time, and brainstormed ways to implement their quirks into their fighting styles. His drive was relentless and unwavering. He gave everything he had into being a hero. Training to get into U.A was his only goal.

Ochako followed him, running on the side of a glass building for a few seconds before leaping to another rooftop. The morning sun brightly glinted off the windows of the large buildings. Izuku performed an impressive flip before landing with a roll, seamlessly transitioning back into a full sprint. Her heart flipped in her chest at the impressive display of agility.

She couldn't stop her feelings from constantly plaguing her mind. Everything he did seemed to create fuzzy and warm feelings within her. From the way he nerded out about heroes, to his cute freckles, to that fluffy green hair, to his general kind and selfless personality. Even not meaning to, he constantly made Ochako's heart do summersaults. She wanted desperately to confess everything. To lay her feelings bare and let him know exactly how she felt. Maybe then, she could actually focus fully on her training. Instead of fanaticizing about a possible romantic relationship with the boy.

But she knew she couldn't do that. Izuku was focused solely on becoming the hero to succeed All Might himself. There was no room in his life for romance.

Right?

She looked online for heroes in relationships, hoping to see something that would give her hope. The results varied greatly. Many relationships failed due to the sheer nature of the job of being a hero. The profession was full of violence and heroes were constantly putting their lives on the line. There were very few instances of relationships between heroes actually working.

Feeling slightly discouraged, Ochako decided it would be best to keep her feelings hidden. Besides, what were the odds of Izuku actually liking her back? She hoped that he treasured their relationship as much as she did. They did everything together, there had to be _some kind_ of connection between them right?

Ochako snapped to attention when she suddenly slipped on a patch of ice, sending her hurtling head-first off the five story apartment building. She heard Izuku scream her name in horror, but she tried her best to keep calm. Touching herself and activating her quirk, Ochako reversed her gravity, stopping her downward motion after a few feet, reversing direction and flying upward instead. She watched as the ground below her shrunk once again, people on the sidewalk not noticing the young girl flying above them. When she landed on the next rooftop, she found herself wrapped in a tight hug.

"I was so worried! I saw you go down and thought you were gonna…" Izuku quickly released her, a light blush dusting his freckled cheeks. His Full Cowling still active, green sparks continued to dance across his body. Ochako smiled warmly at him.

"Thanks for the concern Deku, but I can handle myself you know!" She said lightheartedly, giving him a light punch in the shoulder. He chuckled at himself, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"Well, I guess I just worry. I'm sorry." Izuku apologized. Ochako sighed in mock frustration, finding it amusing that he could find a way to apologize for anything he did, wrong or not.

"There's nothing to be sorry about! It's good that you worry about people you care about!" Izuku's eyes sparkled as he looked up at her. "To be honest, I would have been upset if ya just left me behind!" She said brightly, lifting her friend's spirits.

"Thanks, Uraraka. You know I'd never do that though!" Izuku's watch beeped, indicating that they had thirty minutes to get to class. "Oh! We should get going! Class is starting soon!"

They nodded to each other, turning and continuing their free run, jumping and leaping off rooftops at breakneck speed once again.

* * *

December 27th. Another cold winter's day in Musutafu. Clumps of fluffy snow gently fell from the sky, blanketing the town in silence. The afternoon sun was blocked out by a sheet of grey clouds. Children were happily playing, gigging and laughing the day away. Ochako smiled at the sight of a family happily playing under one of the many trees in the park. Her breath came out in visible clouds as she watched them. A little girl with long black hair was relentlessly throwing snowballs at a slightly older boy. Her eyes were a deep violet and a pretty pink ribbon parted the long strands of black hair from her face. The boy in question was hiding behind the trunk of a tree, making use of its hard bark as a shield. His hair shared a similar dark hue with his sister, however his had a slightly red tint to it. His carefree and gentle eyes reminded her much of Izuku's own. Their parents were watching their children with loving and amused smiles on their faces.

"Come on Tanji! You're not gonna win by hiding!" The violet eyed girl laughed. The boy quickly ducked under a snowball that nearly smacked him in the forehead.

"No fair Nezu! The snow over here is all powdery!" The boy gathered a clump of snow, doing his best to shape it into some kind of ball. Leaning over his cover, he sent the clump of snow sailing over his head and toward his sister.

Which only dissipated into a cloud of white.

The raven haired girl laughed in amusement, throwing a well-formed snowball a little to high. The ball of moisture sailed through the air and collided with their father, showering his face in ice cold clumps. He stood there for a moment, frozen in shock, before laughing out loud and scooping up some snow and sending it flying back at his daughter.

"You messed up now Nezuko!" The man laughed as the snow exploded on his daughter's head, sending her into a fit of surprised giggles. The family laughed and cheered as the mother joined in on their snowball free-for-all as well, sending clumps of cold ice and snow back and forth, having the time of their lives.

Ochako gripped her coat tighter, clutching a gloved hand over her aching heart. She missed her parents dearly. Not a day went by where she didn't think of them. She remembered spending many days like this with her parents, playing with each other without a care in the world. She wished that she could see them just one more time, if only to say goodbye.

"What were they like? Your family?" The brunette glanced toward the origin of the voice. Izuku Midoriya stood next to her, clad in a green winter coat, along with a black beanie and mittens. Tufts of green hair stuck out of the bottom of his hat; his cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold. She thought he looked incredibly cute all bundled up.

He insisted that they come out to the park today. Braving the snowy and cold weather, the pair made their way to the large park near the center of town, finding it more populated then they expected. She smiled at him and gestured for them to continue walking down the frozen sidewalk, winding their way throughout the snow-covered grass.

"Well, I was an only child, no siblings or extended family. It was just me and my parents." Ochako thought back to when she was a small child, living in that small home. "It was only ever just the three of us. We did everything together. My parents wouldn't let me out on my own very often. I used to get so mad!" Ochako laughed at some particular memories of her throwing a tantrum at her parents.

"You must miss them very much." Izuku said tensely. The air between tensed, dark memories cropping back up. Pain thrashed her heart, her mother's final choked breaths echoing in her ears. She pushed those images down, repressing the darkest time of her life.

"Yeah. They were everything to me. Dad did everything he could to make me happy, even if I didn't really notice it much then. He made the best mochi in the country. Mom was always there for me when I was down, picking me up and dusting me off again. I loved them so much Deku." Ochako's trembling voice continued on. Izuku stayed silent, staring straight ahead at the gently falling snow. Eventually, he broke the long silence between them, she noticed him look at her, a serious glint in his eyes.

"We'll find them Uraraka. But I don't think they would want you to be sad." Her downcast eyes met with Izuku's gentle ones. "If I died, I wouldn't want you to be sad about it." She was pained at the mere thought of Izuku dying. But he was right. She couldn't keep feeling sad and depressed about what happened; her parents wouldn't want that. The only thing she could do was become stronger and wreak her vengeance upon the ones who did this to them.

"Thanks, Deku, that really helps a lot." Izuku smiled at her.

"I just don't want you to be so sad, It's your birthday after all!" Ochako smiled at his constant state of positivity. Izuku always treated her with respect and made sure that she was comfortable and happy living with them. But today, he was constantly going out of his way to make her happy, even finding a mochi recipe to cook and surprise her with. Which, in all honesty, was incredible for his first time making it.

Her fifteenth birthday was an odd one. It was the first birthday that she wasn't spending with her parents. Instead, she was spending it with Izuku, Inko, All Might, and even Gunhead paid a visit to wish one of his favorite students a happy birthday. They made her feel warm and welcome, dulling the pain of her lost parents to the point where she almost didn't think about it.

Almost.

How could someone ever forget something like that? Losing your loved ones could leave you broken. It _did _leave her broken. Those few days of wandering the streets, alone and lost, with no one to care for her, were some of the scariest of her life. Luckily for her, she found the Midoriyas. They made the pain she dealt with more bearable. She knew she wouldn't have been able to handle it alone.

Izuku stopped walking, glancing at a familiar bench next the path they were walking on. It was covered in thick snow, but Ochako recognized it immediately as well. "This is the place where I told you about my childhood. Almost a year ago at this point right?" Izuku asked. Ochako nodded, thinking back to the day where she first told Katsuki off. She expected nothing but problems from him, but nothing huge happened ever since then. While she was there, Katsuki was never laying a finger on Izuku. She noticed the cold, hateful glares he sent at her, she had a feeling that his grudge still wasn't settled.

Izuku fished a small black box out of his pocket, blushing a bit as he held it out, unconsciously asking her to take it. "Deku? What's this? You already got me things for my birthday!" Ochako slowly took the box, admiring the tiny object. It was clearly jewelry of some kind, that much was recognizable from how the box was hinged.

"Yeah… I just thought this was more special. I wanted to give it to you here." Izuku cast nervous glances in her direction, as if to gauge her reaction. She smiled at his thoughtfulness, slowly opening the small black box. It revealed a small, silver heart shaped locket, connected to a long neck chain. Her eyes sparkled in wonder as she gently pulled the fragile piece of metal from its container. She flipped the silver heart in her fingers a few times before opening it.

Her heart summersaulted.

One side was a picture of Izuku, sporting a delighted grin, his eyes sparkling brightly and his green hair wild as ever. The other side of the locket was an engraving.

_My Hero_

"They uh… messed up and gave me one shaped like a heart, but I didn't want to seem rude so-"

"I love it." Ochako said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She stared at the photo, she didn't remember him taking a photo like this, it looked recent so it must have been specifically for this.

"R-really? You mean it?" Izuku asked, dumbfounded. Ochako leapt forward, enveloping him in a tight hug.

"Of course, Deku! This is amazing! Thank you so much!" Tears were now freely spilling from both of their eyes. Izuku held her for a few moments, before pulling back and wrapping the necklace delicately around her neck. Ochako smiled fondly at him, holding him at arm's length. After a few moments, she leaned her head forward, planting a delicate and soft kiss on his freckled cheek.

"Thanks for an amazing birthday Izuku."

* * *

Izuku growled in frustration, rising to his feet and reactivating his Full Cowling form. Green lightning streaked across his vision as he stared his opponent down. Hawks nonchalantly picked at the feathers on his red wings. His hair was a light blonde color, looking somewhat similar to All Might's withered form. He was wearing his hero suit, as usual. Which consisted of a black shirt with a ripple pattern, a tan jacket and jeans, and black gloves and boots. He was also wearing a mask to protect his eyes and headphones for his ears.

They were currently sparring at Dagobah Beach. It was a very convenient spot to train, the sand made for good padding if they hit the ground too hard. People also didn't frequent the beach, due to the weather still being too cold. Besides, the beach meant something to the two teens. It was a place that symbolized their growth as training heroes. It was their greatest accomplishment. They routinely went back to the beach and cleaned anything that washed up there.

He glanced to his right, seeing Ochako out of breath and exhausted. After training under Gunhead for so long, their fighting ability had increased dramatically. Their control over their quirks had grown as well. Both teens were capable fighters, able to defend themselves and others in a battle.

But the number three hero was something else entirely.

Even with Izuku's boosted speed during his Full Cowling, he couldn't keep up with the winged man. He simply traveled at speeds to fast to track, even when Izuku pushed himself, he still couldn't keep up. Hawks was on a completely different level than them. Not surprising being that he is the number three hero, and one of the youngest to hold that title. After his dramatic debut four years ago, he blasted through the ranks of heroes at blistering speed. His charismatic and intelligence making him incredibly popular with fans. Even more so than Endeavor, the number two hero.

Before either of them could catch their breath, Hawks was suddenly upon them.

"A villain is_ never_ going to wait for you to catch your breath!" He flew past them, using the wind pressure from his wings to throw them off balance. Izuku caught himself and narrowly dodged a punch thrown by the man. Ochako was in a similar situation, narrowly blocking and dodging lightning fast blows. Her breathing was labored, same as his. They were tired and exhausted, but Hawks didn't seem to have broken a sweat.

Hawks was in incredible fighter, his speed and intellect unrivaled. While his hits weren't the most devastating, he could take you down before you ever saw him coming. He elegantly used his red wings as two extra limbs when fighting. Pulling off moves and combos that would ordinarily be impossible.

Izuku blocked a punch and spotted a narrow opening. Taking it, he threw a fast jab at the man, only to be slapped out of the way by one of his powerful wings. Izuku twisted his weight in mid-air, landing squarely on his feet. Hawks turned his attention to Ochako, dodging every move she threw at him. He was always incredibly careful around her; any mistake could lead to losing his gravity, making the fight infinitely harder.

Izuku and Ochako's entire strategy for beating him revolved around her taking his control of gravity. As it was, they were horribly outmatched by the man's sheer fighting ability. But if they could take away his gravity, or manipulate it to affect him, they would have the advantage. Both of them trained extensively with Ochako's gravity manipulation, being such a debilitating effect, they decided it could very easily determine the outcome of a fight. They were even working on some special moves, but those weren't ready to be actually used in a fight yet.

Izuku dashed back in at full speed, aiming a punch at the hero's stubbled face. Hawks grabbed a punch Ochako overextended and tossed her toward Izuku at the same time. Izuku's eyes widened, twisting in midair and catching the girl. They rolled together on the sand before springing up, ready for another attack. Hawks was already upon them, continuing his relentless barrage. They needed to gain some distance, but whenever they tried to get away from the close quarters fistfight, he was immediately upon them again. Using his superior speed to his advantage, never allowing them any breathing room.

He blocked and countered a blow to his head, moving to return a jab of his own. Ochako turned to the offensive as well, with their combined attacks, they pushed him back slightly. Hawks' gold eyes widened in surprise, blocking and dodging punch after punch. Izuku's green lightning danced between each of them. Ochako activated her quirk on herself, casting a light pink glow on herself.

She shifted her gravity forward, forcing Hawks to remain on the defensive. They quickly moved across the beach, exchanging blow after blow. Izuku stayed right next to her, not allowing the hero an inch of space. Ochako managed to hit Hawks' arm with all of the pads on her finger, smiling triumphantly, she activated her quirk and lifted him from the ground.

Hawks flapped his wings, sending himself much higher in the air than intended. Ochako responded by shifting his gravity downward as quickly as she could. It took all of the focus and concentration she had to keep her quirk under control. The hero smirked, angling his wings slightly and allowing gravity to take over. Ochako's eyes widened when the number three hero glided toward her like a speeding bullet. Ochako touched her fingers together, releasing Hawks and herself from her quirk. Before anyone could react, he crashed into her, she shrieked in shock before her head collided with the something hard, knocking her out.

"Uraraka!" Izuku shouted, rage boiled within him. He knew it was just practice, he knew that she wasn't hurt badly. But seeing her go down like that snapped something in him. Screaming, he launched toward the winged hero, throwing his fists forward at blinding speed. He felt his fists connect with something, focusing on that, he continued attacking, feeling his hits land one after another.

Hawks blocked and dodged as many of Izuku's blows as he could. As soon as he knocked Ochako out, he felt his gravity return to normal. Before he could do anything else, he found himself under relentless assault. Izuku was screaming in pure rage, throwing punch after punch his way. He wasn't expecting the sudden strength boost and was unable to block some of the hits. He felt his body cry out in pain at each connected hit, Izuku was no longer holding back.

This needed to end before he hurt himself.

No longer holding back, he counterattacked one of Izuku's blows, striking him hard in the face. To his surprise, the boy continued to attack him, not reacting at all to the harsh blow dealt to his face. Hawks created some distance between them with a heavy flap of his wings, sending himself into the air. Izuku bared his teeth at him like a feral animal, launching forward and slamming into the hero, sending him crashing into the sand on his back. Izuku launched toward him, sparks and energy flowing around him. Hawks kicked upward at the last possible second, colliding with Izuku's chin and knocking him out cold.

The aura around him faded as he crashed into the sand. Hawks quickly got up, dusting the sand off him. Looking over the green haired boy, he assured himself that Izuku wasn't seriously injured. Picking up the boy and throwing him over his shoulder, he made his way to Ochako, who was still lying on her back in the sand. A pang of guilt coursed through him as he saw what she landed on. Her head collided with a car door that was hidden beneath the sand. The sand around her head was stained slightly with blood, not enough to be seriously concerned though.

He carefully picked her up, looking her over. She likely had a concussion from how hard he landed on her. He wasn't expecting her to be able to multiply the gravity dealt on him to such a degree. He had no idea how to deal with gravity manipulation. Even as the number three hero, he struggled against these two teens. Even when they were horribly outmatched in terms of combat power, the clever use of their quirks and teamwork kept them in the fight.

He gently held Ochako in his arms, extending his wings and taking flight as gently as possible. He located their apartment and slowly made his way there. His thoughts drifted back to Izuku, more specifically what he did after Ochako went down. He'd seen people freak out when their partners were taken down before, it happened all too much in the line of hero work, but he had never seen such a dramatic reaction. Izuku's power clearly multiplied under duress and was almost able to match him in speed. His tenacity and lack of self-preservation indicated a more instinctual and primal reaction rather than a simple power boost. He didn't care about the damage his own body was taking, he only focused on taking down his opponent. In an extreme case, he likely wouldn't have stopped until his opponent was dead.

"Interesting…" Hawks arrived at their apartment complex, setting down on their balcony and letting himself in. All Might trusted him with the location of Midoriya's home when he agreed to train them. Seeing various pictures of Izuku and his mother, and one of Ochako, on the wall confirmed he was in the right room. After setting them into their beds, and setting a bottle of painkillers on Ochako's nightstand, he left through the same balcony, locking the sliding door on his way out.

Taking to the sky, he fished out his mobile phone and dialed Toshinori. He needed to know what happened. After a few rings, he heard someone on the other end.

"_HOW'S IT GOING HAWKS? DID SOMETHING HAPPEN?_" He heard All Might's voice through the phone.

"I might have hit Uraraka a little too hard and knocked her out."

"_YOU WHAT?"_

"Relax. She's fine now. But something happened to Midoriya." His cool voice responded. He heard All Might sigh through the phone.

"_GO ON."_

"He lost control in a rage. His power spiked and he almost overpowered me. I had to knock him out as well."

"_ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOUNG MIDORIYA HAS ANGER PROBLEMS_?" All Might sounded surprised.

"No, not that. But we should be careful not to make him lose it like that. That could be a problem for him in the future."

"_NOTED. THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME."_ Hawks hesitated for a moment, before smirking.

"I'm also raising my bet on them to 10,000 yen."

All Might laughed loudly through the phone before hanging up.

* * *

A/N: As always, let me know what you think! Next up is the entrance exam!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_Exam_

Izuku sighed, trying to calm his overactive nerves. Before him loomed the most renowned school in all of Japan. Everyone in the country knew of this place, people from around the world even travelled here just for a chance to attend. Its acceptance rate was horrifyingly low. Only forty students were admitted into the hero course. Divided into two classes of twenty, Class 1-A and class 1-B. There were general studies and engineering courses, as well as a business course, but everyone was gunning for the hero courses. Out of hundreds of applicants, only a few ever passed.

Izuku shrunk within himself, feeling unworthy of the ground he was standing on. Heroes weren't born. They were made in places like this. This was a place of legend that forged the heroes that protected them from evil and darkness. Without it, villains would kill and take control. Only the best of the best dared to come here. Who was he to stand among the legends here? Next to people like All Might, Nezu, Eraserhead, Midnight, and Vlad King?

He did his research, learning everything he could about the school. Learning about its teachers, general curriculum, along with various other facts. He looked for information on the entrance exams specifically. He learned that the written portion of the test was notoriously difficult, not much of a surprise there. Something interesting was that the practical exam each year was completely different. There was no way for them to train specifically for it, so they had to hope the training they did was enough.

"Kinda scary huh?" Ochako's soft voice rang in his ears. He snapped back to attention, glancing at her. Her soft brown hair framed her flushed face, her shaky grin displayed half-confidence. They were both still wearing their Aldera uniforms, having just come from school. They had extra clothes to change into for the practical exam.

Izuku was once again mesmerized by her. Everything about her was perfect to him. From her positive, easygoing demeanor to her beautiful face. Her hair was much longer than before, coming down past her shoulders. Her hair still framed each side of her face and stopped at her collarbone. He admired and adored her. Anytime he looked at her, really looked at her, the tightness in his chest would drive him insane. His cheeks flooded with heat at the realization that he was just awkwardly staring at her for a solid ten seconds.

"I- uhh… yeah…" Izuku gazed back up at the towers above him. Taking another deep breath, he sighed, hoping to expel some of his anxiety. "Do you…" He started. "Do you really think I can do this? U.A is legendary. Only the best even have a shot at getting in. Which is why I have no doubt that you'll pass. I'm just not sure that I have what it takes. I mean, I'm just a-"

"Deku, stop." Izuku's mouth clamped shut at the harsh edge in her normally gentle voice. She glared at him, causing a chill to run down his spine. "Now you listen to me Deku." She pointed at him, her frown not wavering. "I don't know what's gotten into that head of yours, but it needs to stop." Her tone was steady and determined. She wasn't about to let Izuku's self confidence issues get in the way of his future. "You have every right to be here. You worked yourself to the bone for ten months in order to stand here today. You are more qualified than anyone to get into this school and become the greatest hero anyone has ever known." Tears filled the green haired boy's eyes at her heartfelt speech. He nodded, returning a confidant smile. If she believed in him, then he was going to give it his all.

"Thanks, Uraraka. That means a lot. I… thank you." Her face returned to the beam of sunshine he had grown to love.

"Of course! That's what we do for each other right? Now, we're going to march into that school with our heads held high! Even if I have to drag you in with me!" Ochako began making her way to the door. Izuku paled at the thought of Ochako dragging him into the front door of U.A by his ear. Quickly catching up to her, they were nearly to the entrance before Izuku was stopped by someone clad in a black Aldera uniform. Only three students from Aldera applied to U.A. Most believed that U.A was too much of a long shot to actually be considered an option. The three that applied were him, Ochako and…

"Deku." He heard Katsuki's growling voice and instantly froze. After so long of being bullied and harassed by the blonde, his body naturally tensed up when Katsuki even looked in his direction. "I'm surprised you even showed up. Don't even bother trying. I'm going to destroy you in the practical. Save yourself the beating and walk away now." Katsuki's blood red eyes pierced through him, still shaking him to his core.

Izuku's initial instinct was to nod his head and run the other direction. To do anything that would save him from walking home with bruises again. Movement behind the blonde caught his eye, glancing over Katsuki's shoulder, he noticed that Ochako had turned around and was glaring daggers at the bully. Something within him changed at the sight of her. She was a reminder of all he accomplished and changed in the past ten months. Izuku straightened his shoulders looking his bully dead in the eyes.

"It doesn't matter what you say Kacchan. I'm going to pass the test and get into U.A. You can't stop me!" The fierceness in Izuku's eyes surprised the blonde, Izuku noticed his eyes widen. He wasn't the quirkless kid who couldn't defend himself anymore. He had a quirk. A powerful one at that. He trained exclusively with heroes, an opportunity that most only dreamed about. But most importantly, he had a friend. A person who wanted to stand by his side no matter what.

"Damn it, what's gotten into you all of the sudden? Where did your cowardly attitude go?" The blonde growled through gritted teeth. Seeing Izuku's familiar mop of green hair infuriated him to an unbelievable level. He couldn't understand what was happening. Why was Izuku changing so much all of the sudden? What happened to the quirkless coward he knew since he was a child? He didn't get it, and it was pissing him off. Izuku's determination to become a hero was a big problem. He couldn't risk him getting in the way of his future as a hero. Stepping forward, he roughly grabbed the front of Izuku's black shirt, lifting him off the ground slightly.

"Listen here _Deku_." He spat the nickname with venom. "Don't get in my way again. Or there will be hell to pay." He glared menacingly at the boy, but to his infinite frustration, Izuku didn't budge an inch.

"I don't want to get in your way Kacchan. I want to become a hero just as much as you!" Izuku smiled at the bully, who's red eyes grew even more hateful. "I know you can become an amazing hero Kacchan! But I'm not going to let you cut me down anymore!" They stared each other down for a few moments, before Katsuki yelled furiously and threw the green haired boy back. He whirled and stormed past Ochako, stomping his way toward the U.A main entrance. Ochako sent another hateful glare his way before briskly walking toward her friend, noticing him flattening the wrinkles on his shirt.

"You okay?" She asked, taking a step forward. Izuku looked up, smiling slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. We should go, we don't want to be late." Izuku sent her a reassuring smile and made his way to the door. Ochako quickly fell in next to him, taking the first major leap in their hero careers together.

* * *

The written portion of the exam was completed quickly and confidently by both Izuku and Ochako. After studying relentlessly during their training breaks, both heroes in training were more than ready for whatever academic test decided to throw their way. They had several portions of the test to complete. Including Math, Science, English, Modern Literature, and History. There were several instructors monitoring the students, ensuring that no one used any kind of quirk to cheat during the test.

After they were finished, they gathered into a large auditorium. Izuku and Ochako sat next to each other, surrounded by hundreds of teens they didn't recognize. Izuku wasn't surprised that Katsuki didn't sit next to them. Not that he exactly desired the blonde's company.

The room was completely silent, anticipation from every student making the air electric. Izuku couldn't sit still, excitement and worry coursed through him. Ochako had to silence a few mutter sprees already. Not that she minded. The room darkened considerably, the stage below them lighting up as a tall man clad in sunglasses, he was wearing a black jacket with an upturned collar, with matching pants and knee-high boots. His bright blonde hair was slicked back and straight up, resembling a candle flame. Everyone recognized this is The Voice Hero: Present Mic.

"HEY THERE EVERYONE!" Izuku cringed slightly from the volume, Present Mic certainly lived up to his name. "IT'S GREAT TO SEE ALL OF THOSE SMILING FACES OUT THERE! LET ME HEAR YA!" The hero cupped his ear, leaning toward his audience.

Complete silence.

"WOW WE'VE GOT A LIVELY GROUP THIS YEAR! LET'S START WITH HOW THIS IS GOING TO GO DOWN! CHECK IT!" He pointed toward the large screen behind him, which blinked to life and displayed an overhead view of a large area. It looked like the layout of a small city. He dramatically pointed to the enormous screen behind him.

"THIS IS GROUND BETA! A LARGE URBAN SETTING BUILT TO RESEMBLE A BUSY DOWNTOWN AREA! ISN'T THAT RAD?!" Silence greeted him. An awkward cough sounded in the back of the auditorium.

"WHAT AN AMAZING CROWD! LET'S GO OVER THE DETAILS SHALL WE?" The screen behind him displayed a variety of robots with different point values next to them. "THESE ARE YOUR MAIN TARGETS! DIFFERENT ROBOTS WILL BE ALL OVER THE PLACE! YOUR JOB IS TO DESTROY AS MANY AS POSSIBLE TO GAIN POINTS! THE HIGHER THE POINT VALUE, THE TOUGHER THE BOT! SO, PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH!" His loud voice echoed throughout the large space, lights and music played around him, he did always love a good show. Before he could continue, a tall boy with dark blue hair and square glasses.

"I'm sorry for the interruption!" He started, a spotlight shined upon him, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "But there is an enemy that is worth zero points? If this is a mistake, then it's a disgrace that is unbecoming of this prestigious school!" The silence among the students persisted, not more stunned than anything. He suddenly pointed directly at Izuku, who stiffened at the attention.

"And you! Stop muttering so much! You're distracting everyone! If you're not serious about this, then you should leave!" His words cut straight to Izuku's heart. Was he muttering? He didn't even notice! But, more importantly, was that what people tough of him? That he wasn't serious?

The spotlight shone directly on Izuku's trembling form. He could feel the eyes of everyone on him, the tingling sensation on your skin when you knew someone was watching you. He held up a hand to his head, trying to shield his face from the odd looks everyone was throwing him. Ochako stood up next to him, her chair scraping loudly on the floor as she turned on the blue haired man.

"Hey! Why don't ya mind your own business! Deku wants to be here more than anyone! Sit back down you jerk!" The brunette yelled angrily, stunning both Izuku and the blue haired boy. Ochako wasn't easily angered, but when it came to Izuku, she was incredibly defensive.

"ALL RIGHT EVERYONE, SETTLE DOWN!" The spotlights turned back toward the stage and the teens took their seats again. "THANK YOU FOR YOUR OBSERVATION YOUNG MAN! THAT IS THE ZERO POINT ROBOT! IT'S JUST THERE TO GET IN THE WAY, SO I WOULD JUST AVOID THAT GUY!" The blue haired teen nodded sheepishly.

"I apologize for the interruption! Please, continue!" Izuku noticed Ochako send another glare the boy's way before turning her attention toward the stage again. He couldn't help but worry for her, she wasn't usually this aggressive or angry. Maybe she was just stressed out? This was a very big day after all, she had a right to be on edge.

"BUT THAT'S NOT ALL THERE IS FOLKS!" Izuku turned toward the stage again, noticing that the screen was now displaying various civilians and crumbling buildings. "QUIRKS COME IN MANY DIFFERENT FORMS! NOT ALL ARE COMBAT BASED! THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CIVILIANS SCATTERED AROUND THE BATTLEFIELD AS WELL! THEY ARE ALL WORTH THE SAME NUMBER OF POINTS, BUT SOME WILL BE TOUGHER TO DEAL WITH THAN OTHERS! THERE ARE VARIOUS SAFE ZONES YOU CAN DELIVER THESE PEOPLE TO IN ORDER TO GAIN POINTS!" Izuku nodded his head in understanding. It made sense that they would offer an option for people whose quirks weren't based on combat and strength.

"NOW FOR SOME LAST INFORMATION AND RULES! ALL STUDENTS WILL BE SPLIT UP AND SENT INTO GROUND BETA IN DIFFERENT PLACES! THIS IS A TEST OF YOUR ABILITY AS AN INDIVIDUAL! SO, WORKING TOGETHER THROUGH THE TEST WILL LOSE YOU POINTS!" He glanced at the card he was given upon entering the auditorium.

_~Gate 4~_

He glanced at Ochako's card, hoping to see a matching number.

_~Gate 16~_

Izuku felt disappointed. He wasn't worried about Ochako's safety. They trained together for months. He was confident she could handle anything thrown at her. Even so, he still felt the strong need to protect her.

"LASTLY, IF ANYONE IS SEEN SABOTAGING OTHER STUDENTS, THEY WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED AND WILL FAIL THE TEST!" Izuku swore he could hear Katsuki growling profanities somewhere around him.

"ALL RIIIGHT! THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU FOR NOW! BEFORE WE HEAD OUT, LETS HEAR OUR SCHOOL MOTTO! EVERYONE GIVE A LOUD, PROUD PLUS ULTRA!" A few mutters of 'Plus Ultra…' sounded throughout the generally silent room. Present Mic awkwardly rubbed his neck.

'Man, tough crowd this year.'

"LET'S HEAD OUT EVERYONE! DO YOUR BEST OUT THERE!"

* * *

She blinked opened her eyes, blurry vision clearing slightly as she focused on her bleak surroundings. Everything hurt. She had a splitting headache, and she could feel dried blood crusting the side of her cheek. The sting of cuts and bruises littered her body. She took a closer look at her surroundings, she was lying on her side, her ankle tightly chained to the wall. Her hands were also bound together by a rope tied into several knots she couldn't hope to undo. She gave the chain a few test pulls, the sound of clinking chains echoed through the cold, concrete room. While she was used to wearing handcuffs on her costume, she wasn't a fan of being chained to something without her consent.

'Not good.'

She grunted in pain, struggling to keep herself up with sore muscles. Where was she? What happened? The last thing she could remember was getting ready to head to the school to observe the entrance exams. She was the Modern Art History teacher at U.A, one of the core teachers who was involved with many of their events and activities. The last thing she could remember was noticing something move while looking in her bathroom mirror.

'I… I must have been knocked out or something!' Adrenaline pumped through her as she tried to find an escape. She violently yanked on the chain a few more times, only succeeding in hurting her ankle further. The cold steel dug harshly into her soft flesh, drawing blood. Her hero suit was torn and shredded in various places, indicating some kind of fight. She could feel panic and anxiety eat away at her mind, causing her more and more distress as she struggled against her binds in vain.

Eventually, she stopped struggling, realizing the futility of it. She needed to think. She could get out of this; she had been in sticky situations before and came out okay. She didn't know how long she was there, the cold concrete floor caused her to shiver uncontrollably. Her hero suit didn't offer much for warmth in the first place. She might as well be naked.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed her nerves, remembering what her years of hero work have taught her. She always knew this was a possibility. Young heroes were always warned about the possibly of kidnapping. Either for interrogation or torture. Anti-interrogation techniques were a new addition to the curriculum of hero schools after repeated incidents. She knew what she was likely in for, so she needed to calm her mind, panicking wouldn't get her anywhere. Her raw and bleeding ankle was ample proof of that.

Light footsteps from outside the metal door caught her attention. Her eyes darted toward the door, hearing a series of locks unclicking from the other side before it loudly screeched open. She readied her quirk, unsure of what to expect. At this point, she still had no idea who her captors were or what they were capable of.

A short feminine figure walked happily into the room, swaying her arms and bouncing on her feet. She was wearing some kind of a school uniform and a gas mask. Strands of blonde hair could be seen poking out of the sides and back of the mask. The hero frowned; this wasn't good. Her quirk didn't work so well of females in the first place, not to mention a gas mask typically nullified her quirk anyway.

"Hellooo Nemuri!" A light voice giggled behind the mask. The door shut behind the girl. Nemuri's eyes widened in surprise. How did she know her name? She stiffened at the cheeriness of the voice. She expected someone sinister and evil, not… a child. A child whose voice sounded innocent but held undertones of insanity. She gritted her teeth, calling upon her quirk. Purple smoke filled the room, obscuring her vision, she hoped it would have some kind of effect despite her captor wearing the gas mask.

The girl laughed in amusement. "How cute! Using your little quirk even though I have a mask!" The girl took a step forward, Nemuri scooted backward, her back colliding with the concrete wall behind her. She glared at the masked girl, now allowing herself to be intimidated.

"Who the hell are you! What do you want with me!" She yelled. The girl only cackled insanely and took another step forward.

"Oh, I wonder what you'll taste like!" She giggled excitedly. "Is your blood sweet? That's my favorite! I don't usually go for girls, the blood of young, strong boys is always so tasty! But I think you'll do just fine!" Nemuri's blood chilled at the sound of the crazy girl's voice. A pit of dread hit her as the mask girl pulled a knife from one of her pockets.

"Now… where do you want it cut?" Nemuri was shaking. The girl ran the edge of the knife across the heroine's skin. Ever so slowly, she moved from her arm, to her chest, and finally to her neck. Playing with the sharp edge of the knife on her pale skin.

"Stop! You crazy bitch! Let me g- AHH!" The heroine shrieked in pain as the masked villain swiftly sliced her forearm. Blood ran freely from the deep wound, staining her costume and exposed skin a dark crimson. The girl giggled excitedly, moving to collect the blood.

* * *

Izuku arrived at the entrance to ground beta, taking a look around at the other examinees. He recognized the blue haired boy from before. He didn't see Katsuki anywhere in his group, they must have all been separated.

He took several deep breaths, calming his nerves. He gazed at the large entrance in front of him in apprehension. This was finally happening. The moment he had been looking forward to and working toward for the last ten months was finally here. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Even after training constantly and gaining some control under his quirk, he had no idea how he would perform.

'I'll be alright. I just have to remember my training! I'll be fine!'

"Hello!" His thoughts were interrupted by someone calling to him. Izuku turned his head, noticing the blue haired teen from before waving at him.

"Oh, hey…" Izuku wasn't exactly happy to see the person who called him out in front of everyone. The other boy suddenly bowed repeatedly.

"I apologize for what I said before! It was uncalled for and incredibly disrespectful! I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me!" The man apologized profusely. Izuku took a step back, waving his hands in front of him.

"I-It's okay really! I forgive you!" The boy stopped bowing and chopped the air with his arms.

"Thank you so much! You truly do have a generous heart! I wish you luck on the exam!" Before Izuku could say anything else, the loudspeakers above them whined with feedback.

"ALL RIGHT EXAMINEES! THE TEST IS STARTING NOW!" The teens stared at the speakers in confusion. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR? VILLAINS AREN'T GOING TO WAIT FOR YOU! GO! GO! GO!" All at once, the large group of examinees piled through the gate. Stumbling and crowding each other.

'I have to get around them! If I go with them, there won't be any robots left to destroy! Wait, that's it!' Izuku felt One for All course through him. Activating his Full Cowling form, he leapt with all of his strength. Sailing through the air for a few seconds, he landed on the roof of one of the buildings. He stood on the edge, smiling down at the students still scrambling at the start line.

'Awesome! I got right past the mob! I'll get free reign at all of the bots! I'll leave some for the other though.' Izuku thought as he scanned the urban area for movement. He spotted a cluster of three pointers in front of a café.

Leaping from the rooftop, he landed on top of one of the robots, the force of his landing crushing it's head to bits. Backflipping off the destroyed machine, Izuku kicked the head off the next robot, sending it into the last one with such high velocity, it lost its balance. He turned toward the last one, finishing it off with a series of blows.

Izuku looked at his fists, he did it! He used One for All to destroy the robots! Happiness and satisfaction filled him as he began running down the street, searching for more targets. After taking out various robots and racking up more points, he heard a scream down a nearby street. Izuku instantly turned and ran toward the sound. He found the culprit cowering under a couple of single pointer robots.

"P-p-p-please d-don't kill m-me! This isn't what I thought being a hero would be like! This is too scary! Someone stop them! Aaaaah!" Izuku saw a short boy with purple balls on his head crying his eyes out as the single pointers slowly approached him. The robots pointed their guns at him, and he cried louder. Izuku's eyes widened in surprise.

'Wait, these robots aren't really dangerous right? U.A wouldn't hurt us, right?' Izuku decided not to wait and see, dashing forward, lightning coursing across his body. Quickly disposing the small robots with one hit each, he turned toward the still crying boy.

"Hey… what's wrong? What happened?" Izuku glanced around them. They were in the middle of the street. Various storefronts and restaurants lined the sidewalks. The test was in full swing at this point, various rumbles and sounds could be heard throughout ground beta. The boy looked up toward him, wiping his tear muddled eyes.

"I-I-I wanted to be a hero, but I didn't think it would be this dangerous! U.A is trying to kill us! I have to get out of here!" Izuku quirked an eyebrow at the boy. He wanted to be a hero and wasn't willing to accept the risks? Didn't he know that a hero's life was full of danger?

"Uhh, why do you want to be a hero anyway?" Izuku knew he was wasting time here, but he was honestly curious.

"I just wanted to be popular with the girls! Heroes are always getting the hotties!"

Izuku blinked.

'_What?'_

Izuku didn't even know what to say. How could someone go into the hero business with such a selfish goal? Heroes were supposed to help people out of the goodness of their hearts. True heroes didn't expect anything in return. They didn't help people just to get paid like an ordinary job!

"5 MINUTES LEFT EVERYONE! NOT MUCH TIME LEFT!" Izuku turned on the boy and started running again. He needed to get as many points as possible if he was going to ever hope to pass. In the back of his mind, he wondered how Ochako was doing.

After dispatching a number of robots, Izuku heard another cry for help.

"Mom! Dad! Where are you?" Izuku stopped, looking around him for the source of the voice. It sounded like a little boy; this definitely wasn't the cry of a fledgling hero. He closed his eyes, blocking out the loud booms and quirks being used around him.

"Mom! Dad!"

Izuku opened his eyes, homing in on the cry for help. He crossed the street, finding a small boy in the middle of the street. His hair was a dark brown, his clothes were left in tatters. His eyes were red and puffy from openly bawling. Izuku approached him, this must have been one of the civilians they could save. What kind of hero would he be if he ignored him?

"Hey… hey kid. Let me help you." Izuku made himself known and held his hand out to the boy. The brown-haired child blinked at him for a few moments before sprinting off in the opposite direction.

"You're not my dad! Get away from me!" The boy called back as he sprinted down the street.

"H-hey! Get back here! It's not safe out there! Wait!" Izuku sputtered and stumbled over himself, chasing after the young boy.

"No! You're a stranger! Go away! I want my mama and papa!" The boy looked back at him, not noticing that further down the street was Katsuki Bakugo, who was currently blowing several robots into flaming pieces. Izuku's eyes widened, he knew the kind of collateral damage Katsuki caused. If that boy came anywhere near the blonde's blast radius, he would be hurt badly. He noticed Katsuki use his quirk on a nearby robot, sending flaming chunks of it directly at the small child.

Izuku channeled One for All into his Full Cowling form, sprinting forward and putting himself in between the flaming debris and the child. He wrapped his arms protectively around the boy just as the remains of the robot collided with his back. His green track suit singed and burned, but he was okay. He picked the struggling boy up in his arms, not allowing him to run off again. Katsuki landed next to him and glared angrily.

"What did I say about getting in my way Deku! Get the fuck outta here! These are my points!" He launched himself toward another small group of robots, blowing them to bits with his explosions. Izuku glanced after him before making his way to a designated safe zone, ready to deliver the child there.

* * *

"We have an impressive group of kids this year, don't we?" Toshinori commented as they watched the several screens. All of the core U.A teachers were in the observation room, watching each of the examinees via various cameras and information feeds. Toshinori was watching Izuku and Ochako in particular. They were doing exceptionally well, both teens coming in at the top in terms of points. He was bursting with pride, watching the results of his student's training was an amazing feeling. He couldn't help but smile each time the camera focused on them demolishing the machines. Not that he could take all the credit, Hawks, Gunhead, and Gran Torino were invaluable teachers for them.

"I agree. Those three from Aldera Junior High are doing exceptionally well." Principal Nezu commented, sipping on a small cup of tea. He was an incredibly rare case of an animal manifesting a quirk. He appeared to be a combination of several different animals, a chimera. His quirk caused his intelligence to surpass that of any human, allowing him to become the principal of the most prestigious school in Japan. He pressed the button on a small remote, changing the camera, focusing on a familiar blonde hero. The screen displayed Katsuki Bakugo, cackling loudly as he mercilessly destroyed robot after robot.

"This boy is very interesting. He is very good in combat, displaying great control over his quirk. But he is fueled by anger and hatred. You can see it in his actions, how he moves. He puts far too much into his attacks. His anger makes him sloppy." Nezu sipped on his tea once again. Toshinori nodded in agreement. While he wasn't happy about U.A accepting Katsuki into the entrance exam, there was nothing he could do without looking suspicious. After everything Katsuki did to Izuku, Toshinori wanted nothing more than to keep the blonde away from his successor. He would be keeping a very close eye on Katsuki, if he went too far, Toshinori wouldn't hesitate to expel him.

"He has great potential, but his anger may be a problem in the future…" Toshinori stated idly, the other heroes nodded in agreement. Midnight leaned closer to the screens, focusing on the angry blonde.

"You're right. He is certainly _powerful_." She smirked, crossing her arms and admiring the boy's impressive combat skills.

"Look at this boy, Izuku Midoriya." Nezu turned switched the camera to view the greenette. He was handling multiple robots at the same time. Green lightning danced across his body as he dashed between each machine, delivering crushing blows and reducing each enemy to a pile of warped and crushed metal. "He is showing an impressive fighting style and control over his quirk. Unlike the Bakugo boy, he seems to have a much gentler heart. Even saving some other examinees! He is truly impressive!" The chimera clapped his hands together excitedly, thoroughly entertained by the show the teen was putting on. Midnight's eyes sparkled when she saw Izuku methodically taking out robots one by one.

'I have to meet this boy!'

"I think this has gone on long enough. There is only a minute left. I think it's time to change things up!" Nezu pressed a large red button in front of him, causing the ground to shake violently.

* * *

Ochako tapped a three-point robot, shifting its gravity and sending it crashing into a group of two pointers, breaking each of them into little bits. She smiled to herself, satisfied with the destruction of the machines. The labor of her training was finally bearing fruit, and it was incredible. She sprinted forward looking for more targets. People all around her were destroying the machines as quickly as they could. She had to move as fast as possible if she wanted to keep scoring points.

She turned a street corner and froze in surprise at what she saw. A teen with fluffy purple hair was leading a number of civilians down the sidewalk. His eyes were darting around, searching for danger.

'How did he find so many people! There must be at least ten following him!' Ochako looked down the opposite street, seeing it was empty, she was about to move on when the ground suddenly started rumbling.

"ONE MINUTE LEFT EVERYONE! THIS IS IT!" Ochako heard Present Mic over the loudspeakers. The rumbling grew more intense, almost knocking her off her feet. Reacting quickly, she activated her quirk on herself, causing her to hover above the ground enough that the tremors no longer affected her. When she saw what was causing them, her heart nearly stopped.

A few streets down from her, was a massive robot that towered over the buildings. It was destroying everything in its path, leaving a trail of fire and destruction in its wake. She watched as it swung its massive arm, completely obliterating what was once a tall office building.

'Isn't this a little extreme!?' Ochako thought, freezing on the spot when the massive machine suddenly turned in their direction. The red lights on it's faceplate looked menacing and threatening. With a loud hiss of hydraulics and creaking metal, it quickly made its way to them. Ochako glanced down the street at the purple haired boy and his group of civilians. His eyes were wide with fear and he was visibly shaking. The zero-point robot was almost upon them, in seconds, it would be able to crush them all.

'I can't just leave them! But trying to stop the robot will probably get me hurt!' A shadow cast over her, she looked up, the massive machine was looming over them now. 'It doesn't matter! Izuku would jump in to help them without hesitation!' She dashed forward as fast as she could, stunning the purple haired teen as she sped past him. She was far down the street before she heard him yell after her.

"Wait! You're gonna get yourself killed!" She paid his fearful voice no heed. Rushing straight for the cover on one of it's wheel treads. All she needed to do was touch part of it, then she could manipulate the gravity of the entire thing.

'That's what a hero would do!' She thought as she jumped forward, loudly slapping the cover of one of its tank treads. She pushed it back as hard as she could, instantly feeling lightheaded and queasy. This was far more weight than she had ever tried to deal with. But she couldn't give up. Those people behind her were depending on her to stop this thing. They would surely be trampled if she wasn't able to stop the robot's warpath.

The machine's wheels loudly screeched and smoked at it tried to continue driving forward. Ochako pushed its gravity backward has hard as she could. During her training, she discovered that she could not only change the direction of something's gravity, but she could multiply the gravity applied to that object as well. If she combined those abilities, she could effectively push something much heavier than her. But this was an insane challenge, she could feel herself slipping fast, she wasn't going to be able to hold it long.

'There has to be something I can do! Think!' Ochako pushed past her lightheadedness, glancing at the machine's spinning tires, which were squealing loudly and creating smoke all around her.

'Wait, that's it!' Ochako focused, willing the force of gravity on the machine to turn upwards slightly. She had to be careful, otherwise it would immediately overpower her and flatten her on the road. If she could lift the machine up slightly, it would lose all of its friction on the road, making it easier to push it away. With a loud creak, the large machine lifted off the ground slightly, and Ochako could physically feel the resistance against her lessen significantly. She glanced back down the street, smiling when she noticed that the other boy and the civilians took their opportunity and left the dangerous area.

Blackness creeped into her vision and she stumbled, unable to keep her balance any longer. She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. She never handled this much weight all at once, especially not something that so actively resisted her. She fell to her knees, at this point, the zero-pointer was floating several feet off the ground. The creaking and straining of metal echoed in her ears as the machine struggled in the air. She could feel her consciousness slipping fast, she knew this was it for her, she had no idea how man points she scored, she only hoped it was enough. She didn't think she could live with herself if she let Izuku down.

'I… I did my best.' As she lost her hold on the machine, she heard a very familiar scream of effort high above her.

"SMAAASH!"

* * *

Izuku set the child down in the designated safe zone, he noticed several other examinees coming and going with civilians as well. He smiled; it was good to know that there were plenty of heroes that weren't focused on destroying everything in their path. Some of them only wanted to help people instead of fight on the front lines against villains. The child looked up at him, the tears and anger on his face instantly disappearing.

"You did well! Dealing with civilians who aren't cooperative is one of the most difficult things a hero can do! But you got me out of danger safely and I applaud you for that! Except, try not to hurt yourself next time okay?" The child pointed at the charred back of his tracksuit. Izuku was surprised, this child suddenly sounded nothing like before. Where he was panicked and crying before, now he was calm and composed.

It was all an act. Of course, it was. But how could you hire children to work in such a dangerous environment! Unless they weren't actually children? Izuku shook his head, this wasn't what he needed to be focusing on right now. He needed to get back out there and score as many points as possible. He wasn't sure how many he had now, but he refused to take a break.

"Thank you so much! I'll be more careful! Bye!" Izuku waved to the boy and sprinted back into the streets of ground beta. It was utter chaos. Examinees were everywhere, displaying powerful quirks and destroying robots left and right. Izuku quickly climbed to the roof of a nearby building, trying to get a better observation of the arena.

"ONE MINUTE LEFT EVERYONE! THIS IS IT!" Izuku wobbled a bit as the ground suddenly began shaking violently. All around ground beta, massive machines rose from the streets, creating paths of destruction and fire around them. Surprise gripped him at the extreme nature of it. This was crazy! U.A wasn't actually trying to kill them, right? Looking closer, he recognized the machines as the zero-pointers. They were supposed to stay away from those things.

Izuku spotted a few three-pointers all alone in a nearby alley, moving to get the drop on them, he noticed something odd about one of the zero-pointers. In the distance, one of the massive machines seemed a bit different. It's angle with the ground and general disorientation indicated that something was wrong with it. Focusing on it a bit closer, he noticed a familiar pink glow around it. His eyes widened.

"Ochako!" Before he could think about what he was doing, he was already jumping from roof to roof, making a beeline for the floating machine. The thought of Ochako getting hurt by the massive robot flashed into his mind, flooding him with adrenaline. He had to get to her now. He wasn't sure if she would be able to hold something that big with her gravity manipulation, and if she could lift it up, she couldn't keep it up for long.

Landing on a nearby roof, he got a clear view of the street the zero-pointer was on. He noticed a purple haired boy and several civilians fleeing the scene. Focusing his attention to the robot, he searched the ground beneath it. He gasped in horror when he saw his best friend drop to the hard pavement. Her control on the zero-pointer's gravity faded, and it began falling toward her.

"NO!" Izuku jumped from the roof, channeling everything he had into one punch. If that thing landed on her, she would surely be crushed. He refused to anything happen to her. The wind whipped at his face as he closed in on his target, the world around him seemed to slow down as red veins of energy appeared on his arm. The sleeve on his suit tore into pieces as he drew his fist back.

"SMAAASH!" He threw his arm forward, colliding with the faceplate of the massive machine. With a concussive boom, the robot's entire head crumpled and ripped off its shoulders, flying somewhere in the distance. The force of the hit sent the body of the zero-pointer flying backward, colliding with several buildings and resting in a burning heap at the end of the street.

There was an odd moment of peace, as Izuku floated in the air for a moment. He watched as the remains of the zero-pointer burned in a collapsing building across the street. He desperately hoped the destruction the machine caused didn't hurt anyone else. He hurtled back toward the street at breakneck speed. He got an odd feeling in his chest, a strong sense of déjà vu. Flashbacks of that day ten months ago flashed before him. Instead of an open street in U.A's ground beta, he saw that dirty alley. He shook his head; he couldn't think like that now! Ochako wouldn't be able to save him this time, he had to save himself!

He turned in midair, so that he was falling feet first. Glancing at his arm, he was momentarily repulsed. It was purple and black, flopping unnaturally in the wind. It wouldn't be of any use to him now. He had to try to break his fall. Activating his Full Cowling form, he kicked downward repeatedly, the wind pressure slowing him down considerably. He accidentally knocked himself off balance, landing unceremoniously on his back. Hitting the back of his head on the pavement, everything went black.

* * *

"Oh my! That was amazing! Did you see how she bought the other examinee enough time to get people to safety! True heroism!" Principle Nezu rose from his seat, clapping loudly and cheering. Midnight leaned forward, focused more on Izuku.

"Did you see how the Midoriya boy took out the robot with one hit?" She smiled at the screen. The other heroes nodded in agreement. Ochako's heroic action and ability to stop the zero-pointer's charge was impressive. As was Izuku's ability to decimate it with a single hit. Toshinori turned toward the elderly woman in the room with them.

"You should get out there Recovery Girl. Young Midoriya appears to have broken his arm." She nodded, making her way out of the observation room. Midnight continued to stare at the screen displaying Izuku's unconscious form.

* * *

Izuku blinked his eyes open, squinting as the sun momentarily blinded him. He moved his right arm to cover his face, sighing happily at the relief from the harsh sunlight. It took a few moments for his brain to register what was going on. He sat up, realizing he was still lying in the street at ground beta. There were aches and pains throughout his entire body, but he felt good. Looking down at his arm, he surprised to see that it was perfectly healed, although there seemed to be some scarring on his bicep. He looked around in confusion, there was no way his arm should be healed. He spotted recovery girl kneeling over a form next to him. Izuku's eyes widened, he scrambled to his feet, desperate to look over Ochako's condition. He checked up and down her body, sighing in relief when she appeared okay. Recovery Girl smiled up at him.

"You can calm down. Your girlfriend is okay. She's just exhausted from overusing her quirk. Give her these gummies and tell her to get as much rest as she can. She needs it." Izuku nodded, missing her girlfriend comment completely. She stood up and turned to walk away from them.

"If you'll excuse me, there are plenty of people out there who need my help. Try to be a little more careful out there Midoriya. You can't keep breaking your bones like that." Izuku turned toward his friend, she was lying on her back, sleeping soundly. He gently shook her shoulder, causing her to grumble and shift. She blinked open tired eyes, looking around lazily and taking in her surroundings. Her eyes widened suddenly, sitting up and almost colliding with Izuku.

"What happened! Where's the zero-pointer? How did you get here? Wh-"

"Hey, hey. It's okay Uraraka! The test is over! As for the zero-pointer… well…" His gaze shifted to the still flaming pile of rubble at the end of the street. Ochako didn't say anything as she stared at what was left of the zero-pointer. The once menacing machine that towered over her was nothing more than a pile of scrap metal embedded into a building. "I saw you pass out and had to do something. That thing was going to crush you!" Ochako looked toward the ground below her in shame. It was a reckless move to jump forward and take on the entire robot by herself. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it, and yet she did it anyway.

"I'm sorry. I got in over my head. I don't know what I was thinking. I should have waited for more people to help."

"What are you talking about? That was amazing Uraraka!"

"Huh?"

"The way you lifted that entire robot was awesome! I had no idea you could lift that much! It was incredible!" Ochako blushed at her friend's praise. Izuku's bright face made her heart melt all over again. His adoration becoming too much for her to handle without her face bursting red.

"T-thanks Deku. I would probably be really hurt right now if you didn't step in." She got up, wrapping him in a warm embrace. Izuku froze for a moment, before hugging her back. That pressure in his chest tightened further. That very same tightness that gripped him whenever he thought of Ochako. Watching her fight made him feel this way too. He couldn't explain what it was, but it was something he had never felt with anyone else before. Releasing from their hug, they got up and made their way out of the exam area.

* * *

Walking together, Izuku and Ochako chatted, the excitement and stress of the day finally over. Both of them looked forward to this event for ten months, now that it was over, they felt relief. They both did their best and tried their hardest. Now all they had to do was wait for the results. They were told that it would take about a week. Izuku was sure that Ochako would get in. Her abilities are more than enough to qualify her for the school. He wasn't sure about himself. He knew he destroyed his share of robots, but he always wondered if he could have done better. What if wasting time talking to that purple kid lost him too many points? He worked as efficiently as he could, but was it enough? Everyone around him was giving it their all and destroying the machines left and right, but how did he compare?

"Hey, Deku? You okay?" Ochako asked as they waited for the train to take them home. Ordinarily they would race back on the rooftops, but both of them were sore and exhausted. Izuku glanced at her, small scuffs and dust patches riddled her skin, and her hair was a bit clumped and dirty, but he still thought she looked beautiful. The way the wind blew through her lengthening hair made his heart race. Izuku blushed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Yeah… just worried about my test results is all. I gave it my all, but was it enough?" Ochako lightly punched his shoulder.

"You idiot, of course you scored enough points to get in!" The brunette smiled at him, he glanced at her and gave an unsure chuckle.

"If you say so…" Izuku trailed off, still unconvinced. Ochako frowned.

"Come on, I know how strong and smart you are Deku. If you gave it your all, then I'm sure that you not only passed, but you got the top score! So, stop worrying so much!" Izuku's heart melted at her little speech. He smiled genuinely, glancing at the glimmer of silver that rested on her neck. Descending into the shirt of her Aldera uniform. They changed out of their battered athletic clothing after the exam.

She had taken to wearing the necklace every day. Even during their hand to hand combat training. He even caught her polishing it on one occasion. She was so embarrassed she couldn't even make a coherent sentence. He swore he had never seen her face turn that red before.

It reminded him of their friendship. How much Ochako meant to him, and the trust they shared with each other. Her words meant the world to him. If she thought he had what it took to make it into U.A, then he was convinced that he could make it.

"Thanks, Uraraka. I'm sorry I'm thinking so lowly of myself. I'm proud of what we've accomplished so far!" He held out his fist to her, she smiled brightly, bumping it with her own. "Let's go even further together!" They nodded to each other confidently, ready to face the future. As long as she was by his side, Izuku was sure he could handle anything the world threw at him. She gave him strength, and together, he was sure they could change the world.

They chatted for a short while longer, still waiting for the train to show up. Izuku checked the news on his phone, normally the trains would come around every twenty minutes, but sometimes emergencies and traffic could hold them up. He quickly found what he was looking for, tapping on the article.

"Oh, there was a villain attack half an hour ago and the trains are stalled. They should be running again soon, hopefully they get here fast." Both teens leaned further into the bench, still not willing to walk the distance to their home. Ochako curled into a loose ball, siting along the bench while doing something on her phone. While Izuku slouched on the other side, scrolling through the latest hero news and stories.

"Hey, aren't you that green haired kid from the entrance exam?" Izuku looked up at the unfamiliar voice. Finding a petite girl in a school uniform smiling widely back at him, displaying unusually large canines. Her gold eyes were slightly unusual too, although Izuku couldn't put his finger on why. Her blonde hair was tied into two messy buns on either side of her head.

"Uhh, yeah. My name is Izuku Midoriya. Who are you?" Izuku said unsurely. Ever since that morning that Ochako was attacked, he was always wary of trusting strangers too quickly. Ochako narrowed her eyes at the blonde. Something about her just seemed off. She was way too smiley, and not in the ditsy, airheaded kind of way.

"I'm Himiko Toga! You were so amazing out there! The way you destroyed those robots was so cool! I couldn't help but admire you!" The blonde girl was blushing heavily now.

"Oh! Uhh… thanks? I didn't see you there! Did you do well on the exam?" Izuku was confused but was trying to be polite and keep the conversation going with this strange girl. She pouted a bit, sticking her lip out dramatically.

"I didn't do so well. I don't think I'll get in."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But you never know what might happen! You might be surprised!" The girl blushed harder at his words, clasping her hands behind her back and shyly looking away.

"Well, if you believe in me then I'm sure good things will happen!" She smiled brightly at Izuku. Ochako uncurled from her position and sat straight up, never taking her eyes off the blonde. Something was really off here. Call it a gut feeling, but something about this girl was wrong. Himiko took a few steps toward Izuku, now nearly standing on his feet. Izuku stiffened at the sudden closeness.

"I just came to see if you taste as good as you look." Izuku froze in shock when the blonde girl slowly ran her tongue up the boy's freckled cheek. Slow and hot, Izuku felt the soft muscle make its way up his face, leaving a path of warm moisture. Ochako had enough, this girl making such blatant advances on her crush was one thing, actually touching him was another.

"Get away from him you freak! Who do you think you are!" She angrily yelled as she grabbed the petite girl's shoulders and literally threw her off Izuku, who was still frozen in shock. The rolled and stood cleanly on her feet, now standing tall against Ochako, who took a defensive fighting stance in front of Izuku. The brunette noticed the girl's face was completely flushed red now.

"And who are you? His girlfriend? I don't like people getting in my way." Her sultry voice sent chills down Ochako's spine. Who the hell was this girl? What did she want with Izuku?

"My name is Ochako Uraraka, and I'm not letting you near Deku!" She bared her teeth in anger and the blonde. How dare she just violate her friend like that? Who did she think she was to just brazenly come on to Izuku? She couldn't help the jealousy that overwhelmed her. Himiko licked her lips slowly, moaning in pleasure before looking toward Izuku again, who was beginning to recover from his momentary brain shutdown.

"Deku? I like the name Izuku more."

"It's _Midoriya_ to you." Ochako spat.

"But he's my darling Izuku! No need to stay on such formal terms!" Ochako found herself growing more furious with every word Himiko said.

"Deku doesn't belong to anyone! Stay away from him!"

"Hmm. No can do Ochako! Now that I've got a taste of him, I need _more_!" Himiko took a step forward. Izuku got up from the bench and took a fighting stance next to Ochako, green lightning coursing across his body.

"You should listen to her Toga. You don't want to piss her off." Izuku growled, obviously still uncomfortable with the situation. Himiko pouted like a child who had their toy taken away. She seemed like she was contemplating her action when they noticed the train round the street corner and head their way.

"Well. I'll see you later Izuku! Don't you worry!" They blinked, and she was gone. Seemingly vanishing into thin air. Izuku blinked a few times, as if to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

The teens relaxed as the train stopped and opened its door to them. Stepping in, they silently took their seats. The lurch of the train moving forward broke them out of their trance. Izuku absentmindedly wiped the wet spot Himiko left on his face. Izuku glanced nervously at the shaking girl next to him. Ochako's fists were still clenched into tight balls, and Izuku swore he could see a large vein pulsing in her forehead.

"Hey, Uraraka? Y-You okay?" She whipped her head toward him, as soon as he saw the glare on her face, he regretted opening his mouth.

"Okay? No. I'm not okay. Did you see what she did Deku? She licked your face! Who the hell does that! She's a freak! How dare she just show up and act like she owns you!? Next time I see her I swear I'm gonna-"

"Uraraka, it's okay!" She gave him a look of disbelief. "Well, it's not exactly okay." He quickly corrected himself. "To be honest, I'm really freaked out right now. But we know who she is, and we'll look out for her in the future." Ochako huffed and crossed her arms, still not fully calming down from her anger.

"I honestly didn't think I'd be dealing with fangirls though." Izuku thought aloud.

Ochako frowned. As much as she hated the idea of girls rubbing up on her friend because he was a hero, it was an inevitability. Just like she would likely have to deal with men making advances on her in the future. It was just part of the life of a hero. They were treated like celebrities; they had an excess of adoring fans who didn't know what crossing the line meant.

But this felt different. This didn't feel like a fan gushing over meeting their idol. There was something about Himiko that put Ochako on edge. Even from first seeing the girl, Ochako knew that something wasn't quite right.

"Izuku, I think we really need to keep an eye on her okay? Something doesn't feel right, and I want you to be safe." Ochako blushed at her own words but wouldn't take them back. It was the truth. She couldn't bear to think of becoming a hero without Izuku by her side. She didn't know what she would do if something were to happen to him.

"Okay Uraraka. If that's what you think we should do, then we'll keep our distance from her if she shows up." Ochako seemed to calm down as they chatted the rest of the way home. After getting home, the teens ate, showered and crashed into their respective beds, completely exhausted from the day's events.

* * *

"So, did you find anyone or not?" Shigaraki held his head in annoyance. Ever since Himiko returned, she had been incredibly distracted. Constantly licking her lips and talking about some kid called Izuku. He sighed in frustration as the girl completely ignored him and continued gushing about this boy. He heard Kurogiri chuckle behind the bar.

"She really is a character." He looked toward the girl who was bouncing near Dabi, telling him all about her encounter with Izuku. The pale man shook his head in annoyance.

"No, she's just annoying! And if she doesn't tell me what I want to know then I'll just kill her!" Shigaraki clenched his fist dramatically in anger. Kurogiri shook his head. The leader of the League of Villains was known for his short temper. But more often than not, it hurt him more than it helped. Losing someone like Himiko would be monumental for them. Her skillset was perfect for them. Her expert ability in infiltration was unrivaled. They couldn't afford to lose her over Shigaraki's childish impatience.

The television crackled to life, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"_Greetings"_

"Hello Sensei" Shigaraki greeted him. While the other members of the League followed Sensei's orders, they never referred to him as such.

"_I heard you were able to infiltrate the U.A entrance exam with the help of Himiko Toga."_

The blonde girl stepped toward the television, knowing that the man on the other side could see her.

"Yep! Caught one of the teachers and used her blood to get in!"

"_Was there anyone of interest there?"_

"Hmm. Let's see" She placed a hand on her chin in thought. "Well, there were some kids there that did some non-heroic stuff. But the one that stands out is some blonde kid named Bakugo. That and my beautiful Izuku!"

"_Bakugo and Izuku? Hmm."_

"The Bakugo kid was super angry, but his quirk was really powerful. I say we should go for him. I'm going for Izuku myself! Once I can get rid of that Ochako bitch."

"_Wait, you said Ochako is with this Izuku boy?"_

Toga nodded. There was a moment of silence before the man's disembodied voice crackled through the tv.

"_Toga, I want you to use your quirk and spy on those two. But they can't know that you're there. We'll strike when the time is right."_

"But I want Izuku all to myself!"

"_Toga, we gave you another chance at life. We can take it away just as fast. Don't disappoint me."_

Toga glared hatefully, balling her fists and storming toward a dark corner of the bar.

"_Now, which hero did you capture?"_ Shigaraki spoke up this time.

"Nemuri Kayama"

"Midnight"

The pale villain nodded in affirmation.

"_Find out what information you can from her. Keep her alive for now." _Shigaraki turned toward Muscular, who was sitting in his favorite bar chair, silently listening in on their conversation.

"Muscular, find out what she knows. Do whatever you have to. But if she ends up dead, I'll kill you myself." Muscular grinned evilly and got up from his seat.

"With pleasure." He popped his knuckles, making his way out the door and toward the compound they were keeping her at.

"_That is all for now. I will contact you soon Shigaraki."_

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading! This is my first real shot at an action sequence so let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

_Results_

Midnight's world rattled as her head collided hard with the stone wall. Her vision flashed white, her battered body crumpling onto the cold stone floor. There was a loud buzzing in her ears, she couldn't focus on the world around her, completely unable to think. She closed her eyes, hoping for unconsciousness to grant her a reprieve from her misery.

"Get up." She was roughly grabbed and thrust to her feet, forced back into a standing position. Glaring at her torturer, she spat in his face, staining his mask a dark crimson. He sneered and drove a fist into her gut. She doubled over, coughing and sputtering more blood onto the concrete beneath her. Before she could recover, she felt large hands grab her weak shoulders and throw her hard against a dark corner of the room.

"Just stop fighting already. No one's coming to save you." She tucked into a tight ball, she was shaking and dizzy. Those words echoed in her head as large footsteps out of the room. Only when the door heavily slammed shut did she allow tears to fall. Heavy sobs wracked her weakening body as she curled tighter into her corner.

Why? Why had no one come to save her yet? Surely people noticed her absence, right? The heroes were coming for her! She just had to hold out a little longer! Soon enough, Pro Heroes would be busting down that door to get her out and blow this place to hell. She wished she could see them again. Snipe, Ectoplasm, Present Mic, Cementoss, Vlad King, Nezu, even Eraser Head. That grouchy fool.

She shifted her arm slightly and winced in pain. Shifting slightly, she moved herself into a more comfortable position. Her arm was definitely fractured. Her body was heavily bruised, and cuts littered her skin. Her constant state of lightheaded and dizziness indicated that she likely had a concussion too. She laid on her left side, still curled into a tight ball as she clenched her bloody fist, cracked and broken nails digging slightly into her palms.

How long had she been here already? Days? Weeks? She couldn't tell anymore. Time blurred together when you were stuck in a cell with no window or clock. She was living a constant cycle of interrogation and beatings, then restless sleep on a cold concrete floor. They hadn't even offered her a blanket to sleep on. Every night, she fell asleep cold and alone. Only a bright fluorescent light built into the ceiling to keep her company.

She tried to think back. They were still feeding her, and they hadn't just offed her yet so whoever these people were, they wanted her alive. They brought her what looked like military rations and water a few times a day. Always keeping a close eye on her and making sure she ate everything. She glanced at the camera in the corner of the room. As always, it was pointed directly at her, red light blinking.

Whoever these people were, they were careful and meticulous when handling her. They knew exactly what she was capable of and made precautions. The way they were handling her was formal and professional. These weren't petty street criminals holding her for ransom. No, she was at the mercy of a legitimate organization that wanted information from her.

They asked her constantly about U.A and information on her fellow heroes. They asked about the capabilities of specific heroes such as Eraser Head and Vlad King. No matter what they said or did to her, she refused to budge. Even if she had to take what she knew to the grave with her, she would gladly let herself die before she allowed her friends to fall under the blade of these villains.

She sobbed, tears slowly making their way down her face again. The pain and misery of the day finally being relieved. She refused to cry in front of her interrogator. It was a sign of weakness and she wasn't about to let them think of her like that. The only time she allowed herself to cry was right now. When the only company she kept was the thick gray walls around her.

She choked up slightly, clinging to herself even tighter. How had it come to this? This wasn't at all how she pictured her hero career coming to an end. She pictured settling down eventually, maybe finding someone dependable and putting her heroics behind her. She wouldn't ever admit it, but she secretly wanted a family. It was part of the reason she became a teacher at U.A in the first place. She loved kids. Despite being the "R-Rated Hero", she always made time to give attention to children. Offering them words of advice and encouragement, signing their merchandise and spending time with them. Her agency at the time would always berate her for the extra attention she gave to the younger generation. Telling her that her assets would be of greater use to the high school and college audience.

She clenched her violet eyes shut as a well of dread opened within her. She had always dreamed of having children of her own. She often daydreamed of what it would be like. To hear the soft footfalls of a child running happily through a warm home. The feeling of guiding a child and teaching them about the world. She always heard that watching your child grow and surpass you was one of the most incredible feelings in the world. That was the future she wanted, but now it seemed she would meet her end here instead.

No, she couldn't think like that. She knew she was gone for at least a few days; people would have noticed her absence by now. If she knew Aizawa, he was likely turning the city upside down right now looking for her. She just needed to hold out a little longer. Her dream was still within her grasp, all she needed to do was steel herself for just a bit more time. The heroes were coming for her. She knew they were. They had to be.

* * *

"Young Midoriya! How have you been, my boy?" Izuku lifted his head from his steaming cup of tea to meet the gaze of his mentor. The scrawny man pulled up a chair, Izuku took a sip from his cup, hoping to wash down his nervousness.

"I'm doing great All-" Izuku stopped himself. "- Toshinori!" He inwardly berated himself. He needed to be more careful around his idol while in public. Any word they said could be heard and his secret would be out for the world to see. If villains learned that the number one hero actually had a time limit on his strength, it would surely end up badly. "I can't stop thinking about the exam. It's been a few days, but I can't stand the wait!" The blonde man nodded in understanding.

"I see. As you likely already know, I can't tell you or discuss your results until U.A officially releases them to you. I'm sorry." Izuku's head fell slightly. "But I can assure you that as long as you did your best out there, you will have no trouble getting in." Izuku smirked slightly, his mentor's words mirroring someone else's he knew.

"Huh. Uraraka keep saying that too…"

"She's right. You should believe in yourself a little more. You're much stronger than you think." Izuku smiled, tears threatening to spill once again. He felt like the luckiest person in the world. Here he was, having tea with the number one hero. With a quirk that was impossibly powerful, and a best friend who supported him completely. He still didn't feel like he deserved everything he was given, but he was sure as hell going to make the most of it.

Toshinori ordered some tea for himself, getting more comfortable in his chair. It felt nice to just sit down for a while. No formalities to jump through for U.A, no hero work to do, no agency to manage. Just him and the boy he considered to be a son.

After making some small talk, Izuku couldn't stand to wait any longer. He needed to broach the subject for Toshinori's visit today. He had a question to ask, and a pretty important one at that. He had been giving it a lot of thought recently, especially after the entrance exam. Without that to distract him, his mind wandered to… other things.

"Young Midoriya, is something on your mind?" His attention was snapped back into reality at the sound of his mentor's voice. He called the hero out for this, but it was difficult to actually say what he wanted to. Plus, it was kind of embarrassing. Quickly glancing around the café, he noticed that the only other people there were some employees and a couple in the corner booth. .

"Is this about Uraraka?" His deep voice smugly stated. Izuku blushed brightly, eyes widening in surprise. Was it that obvious? How did All Might figure him out already?

"N-n-no! Of course not! I… we're…" Why was he hesitating? This is what he wanted to talk to him about, so why was he backing out when the thing that was weighing so heavily in his mind was being brought into the open? He gulped and clenched his gut, gathering all of his courage.

"I mean… yes. I… uhh… this is really embarrassing…" Izuku rubbed the back of his neck in shame. Would All Might think less of him if he told him that he found something just as important to him as being a hero? That he found another reason to become stronger that wasn't to be the symbol of peace?

"Take your time. I'm here as long as you need." Toshinori smiled, taking a sip from his tea as Izuku sorted through his thoughts in silence. How was he going to say this? He knew how he was feeling deep within his heart. He cared for Ochako deeply. Far deeper than he ever cared about anyone. He loved his mother; she would always have a place in his heart after everything she did for him. But Ochako was different. The way he felt about her was completely different than anything he ever felt before. But it felt right. It felt like being by her side was where he belonged.

"I… I really care about Uraraka. And I think it's more than just… friendship." Toshinori nodded, allowing Izuku to continue. "She's everything to me. Whenever I want to give up, or whenever I think that it's too much, I think about her. I think about how disappointed and let down she would be if I gave up. Without her, I never would have gotten this far. I wouldn't be sitting her now, having tea with you. I wouldn't…" _Be alive today_.

"I want to protect her and help her become the best hero she can be. I want her to rise above and shine like I know she can. But I don't want my selfish feelings to get in the way. I don't want to distract us from being the best heroes possible." Finishing up, Izuku searched Toshinori's face. The man blankly stared at him, his expression unmoving. Izuku began to sweat nervously when the hero's face split into a wide grin.

"Wow, you've really fallen hard haven't you!" Izuku's head hit the table in embarrassment as the blonde man laughed wholeheartedly. "You're worried that confessing will ruin your relationship if she doesn't feel the same?" He earned a nod from his successor. Shaking his head, Toshinori let out a light chuckle. "I don't think you have to worry about that, my boy."

"What?!"

"I'm positive that Uraraka feels exactly the same about you. I've seen the way you both look at each other. I'm no love expert, but I can tell there is something beyond friendship there."

"Y-you really think so?" The number one hero nodded to his successor. "How did you deal with it? I'm sure you had someone like that in your life!" Toshinori's eyes downcast slightly.

"…I never had the pleasure of finding love. I was far too focused on becoming the symbol of peace. There wasn't much room for anything else in my life. My hero work and a relationship just couldn't work together." Izuku nodded, his heart breaking slightly at his mentor's words. As much as he wanted it, he needed to face facts. Being a hero and having a healthy relationship just wasn't possible. He felt a bony hand on his shoulder, Izuku looked up, finding his mentor looking at him seriously.

"I regret it fully." Izuku stayed silent. "I never got to experience love. I missed out on something incredible. I don't want you to do the same. A hero must give everything to the community they are serving. But you deserve some happiness of your own. Life isn't worth living if it isn't lived happily." Izuku thought hard on Toshinori's words. All Might regretted never finding a partner? Would having something else in his life have changed him? Would he even be the symbol he was today if he wasn't one hundred percent committed to it?

"Toshinori, I… I don't even know what to do! What do I even say to her?"

"Just let your heart do the talking. Don't think about it. Just tell her how you honestly feel. Just go for it, live with no regrets." Izuku nodded, taking another sip from his tea. All Might was right. Life is short, and you need to live it to the fullest while you can. Especially when you were working in a line of work as dangerous as his. Making up his mind, he began thinking of ways he could tell Ochako how he felt.

* * *

Himiko sighed in exhaustion, collapsing into one of the booths of the bar loudly. This was exhausting. Between acting as Midnight and following her love around, she was tapped out. It was difficult to adjust talking and acting like Midnight. But she had to in order to keep her cover. She didn't think anyone had caught on yet, but it was only a matter of time before people realized that the R-Rated hero wasn't using her quirk at all. As closely as she was able to imitate Midnight's personality, she knew there were bound to be faults. Which is why she avoided talking to most of the other heroes for too long. She had to admit though, playing the hero was pretty fun. Seeing the bright smiling faces on people as they admired her every move was nice. A far cry from how people usually reacted when they saw her.

She enjoyed stalking Izuku around though. Finding a random bystander on the street to bleed and disguise herself as was child's play. After all, she had been doing it for years on the streets already. Then it was only a matter of remaining unsuspicious while following the boy around. To her annoyance, Ochako always seemed to be with him. Whenever they went to the store, or to school, or to the beach to clean up what happened to wash up there. She was always right by his side, chatting and laughing with him.

Jealousy constantly overwhelmed her. It took all of her willpower to refrain from throttling the girl and taking Izuku for herself. She wanted nothing more than to cut her up and drain her dry. To watch the light in her eyes fade as she slowly bled out.

But All for One didn't want that. He wanted the girl alive at all costs. For whatever reason he told them that she wasn't to be badly harmed or killed, else they would face a fate worse than death. She knew better than to cross the symbol of evil. She knew who he was, after being summoned by him following her rescue. He told her what he planned and offered her a spot among the new world they were about to forge. How could she say no? She would never pass up the chance to change the world that wronged her since she was little.

"Get up. We've got a job for you." She cracked her eye open at the familiar voice. After sparing the pale man a glance, she rolled over and closed her eyes again.

"Nah, I think I'll just nap."

"Toga, this isn't the time for games. Listen to me or-"

"-or I'll ensure you suffer a slow and painful death." Himiko finished for him with a sly smirk, badly imitating his voice. Tomura's eye twitched in frustration.

"I'm serious Toga. You need to shape up or we'll dispose of you." Himiko sat up and glared at the man.

"Shape up?" Her voice was low and dark. "_I'm_ the reason no heroes have burned this place to the ground yet. Disguising myself as a hero and taking on their entire life isn't exactly easy. I'm the one who has to do the dirty work and spy for you. You can't afford to lose me." She stood up from the booth, confidently staring Tomura in his surprised eyes. "So, stop threatening me and just tell me what you want me to do."

Tomura stared through her, as if debating whether or not he should kill her. As much as she owed him for saving her, she wasn't going to put up with his constant threats and orders. She was an important piece of their little villain team, and she wasn't going to be belittled. Tomura stared at her for a few moments, before narrowing his eyes.

"Fine. I need you to go see Midnight."

* * *

"Izuku! Ochako! Your results are here! They're here!" Izuku heard his mother's voice followed by her excited footsteps running through the apartment. Ochako smiled up at him excitedly, getting up from her most recent sketch of Crimson Riot.

"I'm so excited! Let's go see, Deku!" She giggled excitedly as she bounded out of his room. Izuku looked toward her drawing with a smile. It looked perfect. Soon after Ochako helped him write in his hero notebooks, she insisted in helping draw the heroes as well. They found that she had a natural talent for it and quickly surpassed his own drawing ability. Just another thing to add to the list of the admirations he held for her.

He quickly got up from his bed and followed her out of the room. He felt an odd mix of excitement and anxiety as he neared his mother's and Ochako's voices in the living room. Upon reaching them, he noticed his mother and Ochako holding letters with a large U.A seal on them.

"Izuku, honey! U.A sent your results!" His mother bounded toward him and thrust the letter into his hands. He gulped and looked at Ochako nervously. She smiled confidently and have him a thumbs up. He nodded to himself, there was no point in hiding from it. He did his best and that had to be enough. Heading toward their small table in the living room, he slowly opened the letter. A tiny disk popped out of the folded paper and clattered on the table, suddenly activating a projection in front of them.

"_I AM HERE AS A PROJECTION!"_ Izuku jumped backward in surprise and almost fell. Ochako giggled at his clumsiness and stood next to him, looking at the projection of their mentor that was playing in front of them. He was in his hero form and wearing his favorite pinstripe suit.

"_YOUNG URARAKA AND MIDORIYA! I'M SURE YOU'LL BOTH BE IN THE SAME PLACE WHEN YOU RECEIVE THIS MESSAGE SO I ONLY RECORDED ONE FOR BOTH OF YOU! TRUTH IS, I HAVE TO DO THIS FOR ALL THE APPLICANTS AND I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME!"_ The buff hero laughed loudly as he finished his sentence.

"_BUT LET'S GET DOWN TO BUISNESS."_ Izuku gulped, forcing his nervousness down. _"YOUNG URARAKA! YOUR ABILITY TO TAKE DOWN THE ROBOTS WITH UNIQUE USES OF YOUR QUIRK WAS INSPIRING! YOU DISPLAYED MASTERFUL HANDLING WITH YOUR QUIRK AND YOUR BODY, ABLE TO TAKE DOWN ANY NUMBER OF TARGETS WITHOUT DIFFICULTY! YOU EARNED 35 COMBAT POINTS!"_ Izuku smiled widely at his friend. She was blushing and shyly shifting on her feet. He knew she could handle herself well on the battlefield but receiving such praise from the faculty at U.A was amazing.

"_BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! YOUR ABILITY TO STOP THE ZERO-POINTER ALLOWED ANOTHER STUDENT TO ESCORT A NUMBER OF CIVILIANS TO SAFETY. BECAUSE YOU STEPPED FORWARD AND STOPPED THE DANGER, THOSE PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT OUT ALIVE! YOU HAVE EARNED 70 RESCUE POINTS! EARNING YOU A TOTAL OF 105 POINTS! ONE OF THE HIGHEST SCORES IN U.A HISTORY! YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF! YOU'VE BEEN APPROVED FOR ENROLLMENT!"_ Tears brimmed in both teens' eyes at the news. Pride and adoration filled Izuku. Not only did Ochako pass, but she had one of the best scores in the history of the school!

"Deku! I did it! I made it!" Ochako bounced on her toes, unable to hold her excitement any longer.

"That's amazing Uraraka! I knew you could do it!" Izuku stuttered in surprise when Ochako suddenly wrapped him in a tight hug. He quickly wrapped his arms around her warmly. He rested his head on her shoulder, the way her hair tickled his face made his heart skip a beat.

"Thank you Deku. Without you, I never would have made it this far…" She sniffled against his shoulder and held him slightly tighter. Izuku rubbed his hand up and down her back soothingly as she cried silently.

"This was you Ochako. You put in so much dedication and hard work. You got into U.A because you worked hard. I admire your determination." He spoke without thinking. He thought back to All Might's advice and just allowed his heart to way what it wanted without thinking about it.

"Thank you Deku. That means a lot."

"_NOW, ON TO YOU YOUNG MIDORIYA!"_ The teens separated, Ochako quickly wiping away the tears that streaked down her cheeks.

"_DURING YOUR TEST, YOU DISPLAYED INCREADIBLE SPEED AND CONTROL. AS WELL AS GOOD PLANNING IN AVOIDING WHERE OTHER STUDENTS WERE FIGHTING. YOU SAVED TWO OTHER STUDENTS IN THIS TEST, AS WELL AS A CHILD WHO WAS UNCOOPERATIVE! YOU SHOWED YOUR SELFLESSNESS AND HEROIC ATTITUED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THIS TEST! YOU'VE EARNED 40 RESCUE POINTS!"_ Izuku nodded, his nervousness and anxiety almost getting the better of him.

"_YOU ALSO SHOWED GREAT SKILL IN BATTLE AND ABILITY TO KEEP CALM UNDER PRESSURE. THE WAY YOU EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY DESTROYED AS MANY TARGETS AS POSSIBLE SHOWS GREAT BATTLE KNOWLEDGE AND FIGHTING SKILL! YOU'VE EARNED 53 COMBAT POINTS! TOTALLING IN AN AMAZING 93 POINTS!"_ Izuku's heart soared as he looked at his score. The projection changed to show a scoreboard.

No.1: Ochako Uraraka – 70 Rescue 35 Combat 105 Total

No.2: Izuku Midoriya – 40 Rescue 53 Combat 93 Total

No.3: Katsuki Bakugo – 0 Rescue 77 Combat 77 Total

Izuku's mind went blank as he stared at the scores.

'I did better than Kacchan? I beat _Kacchan_?' He clenched his fists, allowing his head to fall. Tears were falling freely now, dropping onto the dark carpet beneath them. Despite the tears, he was smiling wider than he ever had before. For the first time in his life, he outdid Kacchan.

"_IZUKU MIDORIYA. WELCOME, TO YOUR HERO ACADEMIA."_

Both Midoriyas fell to their knees in tears. Relief and elation flooded Izuku. He made it in, he made it! All of the work he put in for the past ten months wasn't for nothing! He let out open sobs, he could hear All Might's voice continuing on the projection, but he couldn't focus on it any longer.

After nearly killing himself ten months ago, after being a quirkless nobody without a future. He found his best friend, got a quirk, trained with some of the top heroes, and was now going to his dream school. It didn't seem real. Some part of him was still convinced it was a sick trick his brain was playing on him and he was actually still falling down that dark alleyway.

He felt arms wrap around him from behind. He leaned back into his mother's embrace, feeling her tears wet his hair slightly.

"You did it Izuku! You're going to be a hero! I'm so proud of you!" Inko reached an arm out and dragged Ochako into their embrace. "I'm so proud of both of you! You make me so happy!" Ochako's eyes reddened with tears once again as she joined into their emotional group hug.

"We did it Deku. We're going to be heroes."

* * *

"_YOUNG BAKUGO. YOU SHOW AMAZING COMBAT POWER AND SKILL. YOUR SHEER DESTRUCTIVE POWER WILL PROVE USEFUL WHEN FIGHTING VILLAINS. BUT YOU HAVE ZERO RESCUE POINTS. A HERO NEEDS TO THINK OF MORE THAN DESTROYING THE ENEMY. GETTING PEOPLE TO SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE TOP PRIORITY. BUT NEVERTHELESS, YOU SHOWED A NATURAL TALENT IN COMBAT AND U.A HAS ACCEPTED YOU." _

Katsuki smirked triumphantly. He got into U.A, just as he expected. Of course they let him in, how could you pass up someone who had talent like his? He probably finished in the number one spot. There was no way anyone else did better than him. He couldn't wait to see the look on Deku's face when he learned that U.A wouldn't accept him. There was no way a quirkless nobody like him could even compete with him.

The projection switched to a scoreboard displaying everyone's results. Snickering to himself, he started at the bottom of the list, expecting to see Deku's name. His cocky smirk gradually faded as he read through at least thirty names without seeing Deku's. He reached the top ten students and never saw Deku's name. Come to think of it, he never saw the Gravity Bitch's name either.

'The idiots probably chickened out in the middle of it and never even finished!' He laughed darkly at his own thoughts. The image of those two crying and defeated made him smile. His eyes widened when he finally saw his name.

No.3: Katsuki Bakugo – 0 Rescue 77 Combat 77 Total

Third place? There was no way! He should have scored better than anyone! He destroyed more robots than the rest of those extras put together! Who could have possibly passed him up in points? His eyes flicked to the number one and number two spots on the leaderboard. His blood turned to ice at what he saw.

No.1: Ochako Uraraka – 70 Rescue 35 Combat 105 Total

No.2: Izuku Midoriya – 40 Rescue 53 Combat 93 Total

"No…" He muttered, clenching his fists into tight balls. There was no way. It had to be a mistake. It just wasn't possible that both Deku and the Gravity Bitch did better than him. Him! He was always the top of his class! He was going to be the richest hero of all time! It just wasn't possible!

"NO!" Katsuki angrily grabbed the small disk. Clutching it tightly in his fist, with a loud bang, the small device exploded in his palm. With a yell, he threw the broken pieces at one of his walls, not caring about the mess. He angrily paced back and forth in his room, anxiously clawing at his hair and loosing tiny sparks from his hands.

'There's just no way! That fucking moron doesn't even have a quirk! It's impossible for him to have done better than me!' He decided to stop pacing and sat on the edge of his bed, running one of his hands down his face. He just couldn't handle it. If he was in third, and he made it in, then that meant that Deku made it into U.A as well.

"It's just not possible! He's quirkless! How does any hero school justify accepting someone who doesn't even have a quirk! He must have cheated." Katsuki's eyes widened at the thought. Deku was always thinking, maybe he found a way to cheat the system! That was it! He cheated the system somehow to get in!

"I'm going to end that little bastard. He's not going to get in my way anymore."

"I can help with that." Katsuki jumped to his feet and held his hands up, ready to fight whoever dared to intrude in his room. A pale man clad in a dark hoodie and jeans was sitting in his window, staring emotionlessly at him.

"Who the fuck are you! What are you doing here!" The man regarded him for a moment, before climbing off the window and taking a few steps into his room.

"Hey, back off! I'll kill you!" Katsuki's eyes widened when the man _chuckled_.

"You do have fire. Toga was right about you." The man took a few steps around the room taking everything in.

"I'm not going to tell you again. Get the fuck out!" Who the hell was this guy? How did he even know where he lived? The man glanced in his direction, his red eyes intimidating the blonde slightly.

"So eager to pass up an opportunity?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The world of heroes is about to fall. We're offering you a spot among us. We can enhance your quirk. Make you the most powerful man alive. No one will be your equal. Especially not Izuku Midoriya." Katsuki growled, how did he know about Deku? And there wasn't a way to physically enhance someone's quirk, right? Quirks got stronger as the user developed and used them. They weren't something that you could just make stronger at will.

"I don't need your help to beat shitty Deku into the dirt. He's just a quirkless nobody!"

"That's where you're wrong." Katsuki's eyes widened. "My organization has had their eye on the boy for some time. He does indeed have a quirk, and a powerful one at that." Katsuki didn't know what to say. Deku had a quirk all this time? But how? Why? Why would he put up with everything he did if he had a quirk all this time?

"You're lying! I don't know who are and I don't care. Now get the fuck out of here before I blow you into bits!" The man stared at him for a few moments before bowing his head. He tossed a black card onto Katsuki's bed before making his way to the window again.

"Do what you will. Call us if you have a change of heart." With that, he hopped out of the open window. Katsuki ran toward the window and tried to spot him, but he was nowhere to be found. He closed the window quickly. What the hell was that? He seemed like a villain, he was giving off a sinister feeling and Katsuki didn't like it one bit. He knew she should have called the police, but he knew they wouldn't ever be able to catch the man who just broke into his room.

The black card on his bed caught his eye. He walked to his bed and picked it up, turning it over. It was a phone number. He was about to incinerate it with his quirk and forget about everything the man said. What if he wasn't lying? What if Deku actually did have a quirk all this time? He refused to believe that Deku was stronger than him in any way.

He growled in frustration, pocketing the card and turning something on the television to take his mind off what just happened.

* * *

Izuku glanced at Katsuki nervously, the blonde was sending the worst death glare he had ever produced. Izuku gulped nervously, he could feel the anger and hatred radiating from the teen. He was sure the blonde's attitude was due to coming in third during the exam. Katsuki was known to be a sore loser, and this happened to be one of the biggest things they had ever done in their lives.

"This is just amazing! Not one, but three students from my school are going to U.A!" Izuku turned his attention to the principal of Aldera and gave him a small smile. "I expected Bakugo to make it, but I'm honestly surprised that you two made it too!" Izuku's smiled fell slightly at that. "It's amazing that someone like you could even compete Midoriya! I'm sure they made some kind of exception for you, but it's still amazing!" He heard Ochako grumble something angrily under her breath.

"Can we go?" Katsuki growled through gritted teeth. Izuku quirked a confused eyebrow. Katsuki seemed particularly angry at him today. It was as if the very sight of Izuku infuriated him. The principal, seemingly unaware of the tense air between them, nodded and shook their hands.

"Of course! I just wanted to congratulate you Katsuki! And I hope you put in a good word for us at U.A!" Katsuki rolled his eyes and began walking away.

"Whatever."

Izuku and Ochako followed him through the empty hallways of Aldera. The tenseness between them never dissipated, it only seemed to grow stronger as they walked. The silence seemed to make the tension feel several times worse. Izuku felt a pit of dread, like something was about to happen between him and Katsuki.

Once they got outside, Katsuki suddenly stopped.

"_Deku_"

Izuku cringed slightly. In all his years, he never heard Katsuki say his name with that much malice and hatred.

"Tell me straight. Do you have a quirk?" Izuku's breath hitched. He was hoping he wouldn't have to explain this so soon. But, how could he? He couldn't possibly tell him the truth and reveal the secret of One for All.

"Yes." He noticed Katsuki visibly cringe at this. The blonde turned around and Izuku barely recognized him. His face displayed pure hatred; his eyes seemed to glow even brighter red than usual.

"Show me."

"Kacchan this doesn't-"

"I said show me god damn it!" Izuku glanced at Ochako, she was tensed and staring directly at the angry blonde, ready to fight at any moment. Izuku turned back to his former friend, there was no turning back now. He had to face his demons eventually.

Focusing his power, he spread One for All throughout his body like he had been taught. His skin taking on a familiar glow and green lightning shooting across his body. His eyes glowed a brighter emerald green as well. Katsuki stared for a few moments, before his composure cracked.

"You've had a quirk all this time. And you never said anything."

"Wait! I-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Katsuki bared his teeth, his face twisted in rage. "You had a quirk all this time. You probably have been laughing behind my back all this time. Pretending to be hurt and laughing at me afterward!"

"Kacchan, I didn't pretend anything! These scars on me are real. They're there forever because of you!"

"I don't care! You're just getting in my way of being number one!" He put his fists up, causing Izuku and Ochako to fall into more defensive stances they learned from Gunhead. Izuku glanced to his friend. Determination filled her eyes, she was ready to fight alongside him, but he couldn't allow that.

"Uraraka, please stay back."

"Huh?"

"I need to do this on my own. Let me fight him. I know I can win."

Ochako looked unsure for a moment, before nodding and stepping back.

"Shouldn't we go somewhere else to do this?"

"YOU'RE NEVER GETTING INTO U.A DEKU!" Izuku glanced forward and instinctively ducked under Katsuki's signature right hook.

"What?" He heard Katsuki's confused voice above him. Remembering the move he used on Gunhead, Izuku grabbed Katsuki's outstretched arm and flung him downward, using the blonde's momentum and his own strength to slam him on his back. Katsuki let out a cry of pain, spit flying out of his mouth. He placed his palms on the concrete beneath him, blasting himself into a standing position.

"How the hell…"

"You always start with a big right hook Kacchan!" The blonde growled and dashed toward him.

"Then let's see how you handle this!" He sent a flurry of punches toward the green haired boy, sparks and flames flew past his face. Izuku blocked and dodged every hit, to the surprise of the blonde. Izuku saw an opportunity and dodged under one of Katsuki's punches, causing him to overextend slightly. Izuku drove one of his fists into Katsuki's gut, knocking the wind out of him. The blonde held his stomach in pain for a moment, taking a few steps back, coughing and sputtering along the way.

"When… when the fuck did you learn that! You're not that good!"

"I went through ten months of pure hell to get here Kacchan. Learning how to use my quirk and how to fight. Now please, let's stop fighting! I don't want to do this!" Katsuki screamed and blasted toward him again.

"Fuck you Deku!" Izuku saw Katsuki's telegraphed punch and easily sidestepped it. He drove his knee upward, knocking the wind out of him once again. Katsuki landed hard on the pavement, coughing and wheezing heavily. Izuku shook his head, Katsuki let his anger get the best of him and wildly struck out, leaving him completely open to counterattacks. He was no match for someone who was trained in countering people and taking them down that way.

Izuku took a deep breath and let go of his quirk, the lightning dissipating from his form and the glow on his skin disappearing. He quickly made his way to Katsuki's still coughing form. He held a hand out to him, only to have it slapped away again.

"Fuck… you…" Izuku took a step back, giving a disappointed look in the blonde's direction.

"I'm not fighting you anymore Kacchan. I'm going to U.A, and so is Uraraka. You aren't going to stop us." Izuku glanced at Ochako and began walking away. Ochako took the hint and followed him, leaving Katsuki to help himself off the pavement.

Katsuki rose to a kneeling position at this point, recovering form the hits Izuku landed on him. "Get back here you bastard! We aren't done!" He tried taking a step forward, only to stumble and fall again. He screamed in anger and frustration. This wasn't right. Everything about this was wrong! He was supposed to be the one walking away, and Deku was supposed to be the one lying on the pavement! How could their roles have switched like this?

After a few moments, Katsuki managed to rise to his feet, slowly walking back toward his house. He felt the black card in his pocket, glancing at the phone number on the back of it.

* * *

Midnight stared at the door of her cell, trying to focus her rapidly blurring vision. It was becoming harder and harder to focus on anything. Her head was swimming, dried blood still caked the side of her face. She was curled into a ball in the corner of the room again.

It felt like she was in here for an eternity already. Her body was sapped of strength, bruised and broken. She could barely move on her own anymore. Her appetite was gone as well, even when they brought her food, they practically had to force it down her throat for her to eat anything. Not to mention they came in often to just take blood from her. She didn't question what these people did anymore, she just lay there while they collected her blood into syringes.

She didn't know how much longer she could take it. Her body had given up a while ago, unable to keep up with the rough interrogation. The only thing keeping her going was the hope that any second, the heroes would break down that door and save her. As if on cue, the door handle slowly turned, revealing the Toga holding a tray of food.

She was slightly confused, typically the muscular blonde man was in charge of interrogation, so why were they sending the small girl?

"You still alive in here?" The girl giggled. She shut the door behind her and set the tray down that held her daily ration and water. Midnight simply grunted and reached a trembling hand for the water. Toga stopped her and grabbed the glass of water. Nemuri glanced up at the girl in confusion. Her gold eyes looked different. Their hint of insanity was gone, replaced with concern.

"Open up." Nemuri complied, opening her mouth. Toga tipped the water cup and allowed Midnight to drink until it was empty. Placing the cup down, she helped Nemuri eat until everything was gone. Nemuri was confused, the girl she had always seen as insane was now compassionate and caring. What the hell was this? They were silent, Midnight didn't thank Toga and she didn't expect it. Toga got up with the tray of food and began to make her way out of the room.

"They'll come for me. You'll see." Midnight's trembling voice broke the silence. Toga stopped, setting the tray on the floor next to her. The girl turned to the tortured hero, taking in her appearance. Her suit was torn and crusted with blood. Her hair was completely disheveled and frizzy. Nasty bruises and cuts littered her skin, and she seemed to be losing weight as well. Her skin looked paler than usual too. In all, she looked terrible. In all honesty, Toga hated this. She saw no reason to torture someone relentlessly like this. Seeing someone who once stood so tall broken down and defeated hurt her. If she was going to kill someone, she preferred to do it quickly. Drawing it out like this made no sense to her.

"No. They're not coming." She reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a vial of Nemuri's blood. Midnight's eyes widened as Toga drank a sip of the blood, swishing it around in her mouth before swallowing. Toga's blonde hair lengthened and turned dark purple, falling out of its messy buns and forming a hairstyle the Midnight recognized too much. To the hero's horror, Toga quickly morphed and changed until she was staring at a mirror image of herself.

"No one even knows you're gone." Nemuri's clone frowned back at her. Her heart shattered, all hope of rescue falling away from her. They were right. No one was coming to save her. If they were able to imitate her perfectly, no one would ever notice until it was too late. She felt tears running down her face again, but she didn't care enough to hide them. It didn't matter anyway; she was as good as dead at this point. No one was going to save her; her fate was sealed by her captors long ago and she was only just realizing it now.

Toga picked up the tray of food and opened the door, giving Nemuri a final glance. She looked completely broken. Her will was shattered, she figured it wouldn't be long until she just gave up on living. She sighed sadly before closing the door, hearing the echoes of the woman's open sobs through the door.

All for One stared at the screen, observing Midnight's condition in her cell. Toga left almost an hour ago and Nemuri hadn't moved at all. Her sobs had subsided long ago, lacking the strength to even cry any longer. Nodding to himself, he opened a communication channel.

"Sensei."

"Midnight is ready. I'll be sending her over shortly."

"Understood."

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet. I'm hitting some writer's block and I'm finding it hard to write anything. But I wanted to get this out to you guys today.

I should probably warn people that this fic will have violence, torture, and death and maybe smut in it later. But I'm not going to add trigger warnings into the middle of a chapter (that would really take away from the story if there was a warning thrown in the middle of it )or let you know before hand, which would spoil what's coming. So I guess read at your own risk!

As always, let me know what you think!


	10. Author's note

Authors Note

Hello readers! I sincerely apologize for the long while without any news or word from me. I typically like to keep people in the loop when things like this happen, but I just didn't get to it. I'm not going to make excuses and justify myself. I'm just going to come right out and apologize for that.

Next, I have news to deliver about the story. I hate to deliver bad news but I don't see myself completing it. There are a few reasons for this. I have been working full time and been going to university, so I don't have a lot of time to devote to a lengthy story. I burned myself out by trying to get a chapter out every week and in my opinion the quality suffered. This started as something that I enjoyed doing, but eventually it turned into a chore and something that I had to do instead of something that I wanted to do.

On top of that, I really fell out of My Hero Academia all together. It was never my favorite anime and to be honest I think that I just wanted to write something after watching the fourth season. As a protagonist, Deku isn't my favorite. I think he had great character development up until just after the tournament arc, then after that his character kind of stagnated. To the point where he was winning every fight with the power of friendship (looking at you Muscular). But I don't want to get into that debate because that will certainly get me flamed into oblivion.

Also, looking back, my story didn't exactly go where I wanted it to. At some point I lost sight of what I was trying to do with Deku's character and just went with the canon version of him, which isn't what I wanted. This didn't make it into my story, but originally, I wanted Izuku to have much more human emotions toward his bullying and mistreatment as a child. I wanted him to harbor some resentment and anger toward the world at his condition. I wanted to give him One for All and proceed to forcefully change the way the world works. Not to become the nice guy hero he is in canon. But literally none of this made it into the story because I thought it would be too much if I diverged the canon characters too much. But looking back I now realize that I should have just gone with what I wanted to in the first place, then maybe I would still be interested in continuing this.

So the story is discontinued now. But I think I'll keep it up as a monument to my first work. It was fun and I enjoyed hearing all of your thoughts and comments! I will likely be writing shorter stories when I'm feeling up to it. Thanks again for your support! I would never had made it even close to this far without you!


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